Louise Erdrich is an artist in her own right. Her fiction and poetry are filled with mythical characters and settings drawn from her Chippewa heritage examining the complex relationships amongst Native Americans and their battles with the European American community. The different voices and imagery in her work had lead some to compare her to William Faulkner , according to American novelist Philip Roth,“She is, like Faulkner, one of the great American regionalists, bearing the dark knowledge of her place, as he did (McGrath).” Erdrich gives her settings a population of characters, most of which are female, to whom Jean Strouse describes as “strong, original, funny… and vivid as anyone who`ve recently graced the American literacy landscape…
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It provides a strong voice for the small percent of mixed Native Americans as well as Erdrich herself. In an interview with writer Joseph Bruchac, Erdrich states the poem takes her back to the place she grew up, “Runaways is one of the first poems that came out of letting go and letting my own background or dreams surface on the page” …show more content…
They view the sheriff's car “dumb” because it does not have the presence of character that a train has, accompanied by a constant humming sound of the highway, the runaways compare it to a “wing of insults” despite the warmth of his car. Lines 15 and 16 mention “worn down welts” which could refer to more than one thing. These “welts” are metaphorically compared to ancient punishments lead “back and forth”. Welts are not only swollen marks on human skin but leather rims sewn on the edge of a shoe were the sole is attached. The highway has been used to transport the runaways to and fro, it wears down as well as reminding the children of their pain after being punished for running away or for past actions. The welts on the shoes of guards or authorities could wear down and serve as the ancient punishment as the oppressor, leading the prisoners back and forth the boarding
It provides a strong voice for the small percent of mixed Native Americans as well as Erdrich herself. In an interview with writer Joseph Bruchac, Erdrich states the poem takes her back to the place she grew up, “Runaways is one of the first poems that came out of letting go and letting my own background or dreams surface on the page” …show more content…
They view the sheriff's car “dumb” because it does not have the presence of character that a train has, accompanied by a constant humming sound of the highway, the runaways compare it to a “wing of insults” despite the warmth of his car. Lines 15 and 16 mention “worn down welts” which could refer to more than one thing. These “welts” are metaphorically compared to ancient punishments lead “back and forth”. Welts are not only swollen marks on human skin but leather rims sewn on the edge of a shoe were the sole is attached. The highway has been used to transport the runaways to and fro, it wears down as well as reminding the children of their pain after being punished for running away or for past actions. The welts on the shoes of guards or authorities could wear down and serve as the ancient punishment as the oppressor, leading the prisoners back and forth the boarding