Character Study – Marie Kashpaw: Seeking Identity Dennis Odhiambo College

The novel suggests that Marie Lazarre was born in the 1920s; she is born a mixed blood, as her father is white. She is raised by Sophie and Izear Lazarre who are her supposed family, her mother Sophie is said to be an old drunk. She is a child of the Lazarre family which has a bad reputation and she is also considered a lowlife because of her half white descent. Marie is raised on the Native American reservation but does not fit in, as she is not considered as part of them. Marie tries hard to redefine her identity to earn cultural acceptance and respect but end up stuck between two paradigms which she does not completely belong to. In the native community, she is considered half-blood and looked down upon due to her heritage similarly in the white community and the convent she is regarded as Native and cannot fully belong. She undergoes religious and cultural conflicts in an attempt to empower herself and fit in but realizes they cannot entirely blend. In her journey of seeking her identity, Marie loses and seeks power, love and respect all through as she navigates through various conflicting cultural and religious identities, but eventually manages to accomplish her goals and be empowered by her experiences.

At the beginning...