Character Analysis of the Short-Story "Fleur"
Character Analysis of the Short-Story "Fleur"
Louise Erdrich is a writer who is of both Native American and French heritage. Story telling is a part of the Native American oral tradition. Edrich furthers this tradition in her novels and short stories. Upon reading her short story, Fleur, in which the central character is Fleur Pillager, Erdrich captures the reader’s attention immediately and forces her character upon the reader with the first line of the story. “The first time she drowned in the cold and glassy water of lake Turcot, Fleur Pillager was only a girl.”
Right away the reader knows there is something quite unusual about this dynamic and well-developed character. Erdrich also weaves into her storytelling, tribal mythology. No one courted Fleur even though she was very attractive because it was clear to the people on the reservation that Misshepeshu, the green eyed and copper skinned water monster wanted Fleur for himself.
Fleur’s speech in the story is spare, direct, and to the point. What she says is memorable. “You will take my place” (Baym 2571) is what she said to George Many Women the first person who touched her after she drowned the second time. Fleur is developed as a strong, daring character that studies ancient ways and half forgotten medicine. The people of the reservation where she lived felt that she changed into animals and practiced evil ways, so they were just about ready to run her out of town when she left.
She migrated to a small town south of the reservation called Argus where she stayed for a summer. At this time she meets a flat character. Pauline, who narrates the story. Even though Pauline tells the story she is an invisible, forgotten character. She comes to Argus when her mother marries “Dutch” James who works at Fritzie and Pete Kozkas’ Butcher Shop. Soon there after Pauline’s mother dies and “Dutch,” her step-father, takes her out of school to clean up at the butcher shop. She hears everything that goes on because the other characters forget that she is there.
After living in Argus for approximately one month, Fleur asks to be dealt into the nightly card game with the stock characters. The stock characters of this story are the “good old boys” Pete, “Dutch” and the...