Humor And Wisdom In Louise Erdrich's Four Souls

In Four Souls, we are introduced to many characters and different narrators. The story is told by Polly Elizabeth, Nanapush, and Margaret. Each of these narrators gives us a different perspective of what they see happening in their lives. They also give us a perspective on what is going on in Fleurs Life. Nanapush and Margaret tell the story in a Native American perspective. Polly tells the story in a European American perspective. These narrators are also in the story and they are all connected through Fleur Pillager (the main character of this story.) As Polly narrates the story, she also changes as a person. She becomes more of a dynamic character than a static person.

Polly is a very interesting narrator and character than the two narrators. …show more content…
We are also told that Native Americans were put on reservations and their women and land were taken away. In the book, John James Mauser is a representation of colonization. In “Beyond Colonization: Polyphony, Alterity, Humor and Wisdom in Louise Erdrich’s Four Souls”. Reavey mentions that “colonialism is structured by the logic of sexual violence. In Four Souls, Mauser sort of does this with Fleur by begetting a son. He does this so he can trap her and so he will not be killed in the hands of Fleur. In Chapter 10, he mentions to Polly that he took away everything that Fleur had and what she stood for. Polly knows that she is white and that she is privileged, but she doesn’t let that interfere with her relationship with Fleur. She tells Mauser that “Well, she’s got me now…. And Mrs. Gheen” (Erdrich 130). Polly isn’t saying that she feels that she is Native American just because she’s closer to Fleur. What she’s saying is that she doesn’t like what Mauser and the former colonists did to her people and land. She feels bad for what they had to go through, and this is what makes her even closer to Fleur. In a way she wants to be a better person, she doesn’t want Fleur to see her like how she sees