Green Grass, Running Water Essay Questions

How is education presented in the novel?

Education is presented ambivalently in the novel. In some ways, it is shown as a way that characters become absorbed in Western values and ideals, and as a force that makes them more distant from their Aboriginal heritage. It is noted by many other characters that Eli’s move to Toronto in order to pursue university studies and then work as a professor alienated him from his family and from life on the reservation. Especially because he now teaches and focuses his research on European authors, he seems to have fully committed to a model of transferring knowledge that is largely Eurocentric and does not account for Aboriginal experiences. According to critic Marlene Goldman, "In King's novel, writing and mapping represent complicitous activities that often serve to secure a Western worldview" (106). Similarly, Charlie’s work as a lawyer is only possible because he is highly educated, and this work has alienated him from his heritage, especially due to his participation in the legal defense of the dam project.

On the other hand, education is shown as an important tool allowing characters to have better futures. Lionel’s lack of education has been a significant factor in limiting his opportunities, and when he tries to make a plan to improve his life, one of the key things he resolves to do is return to school.

How do male and female characters respond differently to their cultural heritage?

Generally, female characters seem to be better able to integrate their cultural heritage as Blackfoot women into their lives, and even use it as a way to be successful. Alberta’s career meets conventional standards of Western success, in that she is highly educated and works as a university professor. At the same, she teaches about Aboriginal history and culture so that she is able to integrate different aspects of her identity together. Although Latisha’s career working at the Dead Dog Café is very different, she also uses her cultural heritage in order to help the restaurant succeed by manipulating stereotypes to her own advantage.

Male characters such as Lionel, Charlie, and Eli face greater struggles in deciding how they both remain true to their cultural heritage and find success in the wider world. For both Charlie and Eli, their professions put them in conflict with their cultural identities, and they also have conflicted relationships with their families, which weakens ties connecting them to their culture of origin.

What is the significance of the fragmented and non-linear narrative?

King's novel is structured in a way that is significantly different, and potentially confusing, for readers accustomed to a linear story following the same set of characters from beginning, middle, and end. This structure is important because it immediately forces readers to confront their assumptions about the "right" way to tell a story. One tradition is no more valid than another, but when one becomes dominant, it tends to overshadow the others. The fragmented and non-linear structure of the novel forces the reader to approach the story from a more trusting perspective and to let go of some control; much like Coyote, readers have to learn a new way of understanding. This style of narrative also reflects an oral tradition, with breaks, gaps, interruptions, and internal arguments, thereby affirming the importance of a heritage of telling stories rather than a more Westernized focus on writing them down and sharing them in one fixed, final version.

Why do the elders return to the hospital?

The disappearance of the four Indian elders from Dr. Hovaugh's hospital at first seems to suggest that they are running away, and that they might be unhappy or mistreated there. However, after they have completed their project of helping the characters in the modern world, they peacefully come back to the hospital on their own terms and seem quite happy to be back. This suggests that the elders, far from being trapped or held prisoner, make their own choices and exercise their own agency. They do what needs to be done, and rest when required. In fact, they seem to have quite a happy relationship with Babo, Dr. Hovaugh, and the hospital; it would just be a mistake to assume that they are controlled by it.

What is the significance of the novel's conclusion?

The novel ends with what seems like yet another beginning. Coyote and the narrator are still discussing the origins of the world, which began with water, and the narrator starts a new story describing how that came to be. This conclusion is important because it suggests that a story is never truly finished; it can always be returned to, and told in a different voice or from a different perspective. This conclusion prevents the novel from becoming too authoritative or dominated by a single account of events. It also makes it clear that not all of the problems have been resolved, or that there is a tidy or conclusive ending. The story has presented some events, shed some perspective, and hopefully broadened a reader's perspective. The questions it has raised, about how individuals of different backgrounds are treated and how the future can learn from the past, are still very much in need of further exploration.