Culture is an umbrella term that covers almost every aspects of life. It includes different concepts when viewed from various perspectives. It can be described in individual level as well as communal level, though they are mutually dependent. An individual defines the culture at the level of the community he or she follows the patterns of the society in which he or she lives. The culture of a community is defined by the living patterns of the members of the society. Culture has an important place in one’s identity. Identity is a process of becoming, constructing from the matrix of similarities and difference. Culture is a source of reviving the cultural identity. The culture enables us to locate our identity in a cultural space. …show more content…
It is the story of the life Chippewa’s struggle to preserve their culture and land. It resembles the life and people of Turtle mountain reservation in North Dakota. The novel is a true window to the cultural life of Chippewa tribe. It is set during the historical period of the Dawes Allotment Act of 1887.
The novel is presented in nine chapters. It narrates the life of Chippewa community living in North Dakota between the winter of 1912 and the spring of 1924. Each chapter is identified by year and by season, and the Chippewa name of each season. The date serves as markers of the plot’s linear progression, and the naming of the seasons reminds the readers of the cyclical nature of traditional Chippewa time. Although Erdrich did not publish Tracks until 1988, she worked on versions of its manuscript for many years.
The story is told in the Chippewa oral tradition, and employs a dual narration structure. Nanapush and Pauline are the two narrators of the novel. Nanapush is the aging tribal leader. It opens from the point of view of the narrator, Nanapush. Nanapush, the tribal leader is telling Lulu about the story of her mother’s (Fleur Pillager) continuous struggle. Pauline is a young girl of mixed breed. She exhibits Euro-American consciousness. Pauline’s narration directly relates to her life. . But on the other hand Nanapush narrates the story of his community. The central character of …show more content…
It mainly focuses on the survival and resistance as themes. It analyses on how natives find their own identity and how they resist the traumatic experience of cultural mixing and cultural alienation in the Euro-American dominated society. It critically assesses how Erdrich literary presents the reconstructing identity in the novel. The chapter also deals with the functions of subcultures in a society and the relevance of the cultural