Medicine Walk Essay Questions

How does Medicine Walk end? What is the significance of its ending?

Medicine Walk ends with Frank back at the farm, with the old man. Frank walks out onto the land as the sun sets. As the world is plunged into shadow and darkness by the setting sun, Frank is suspended in a kind of dream-world. It is here that he sees the ghostly figures of his ancestors: some of them riding horses, some of them gathering herbs and berries from the land. It is a diorama of existence, and Frank raises his hand to "a line of people he's never known." The significance of the novel's final scene is Frank coming to terms with all that Eldon told Frank about his family and past, and Frank honoring this past. Frank remains connected to his ancestors, despite his never knowing them, because of Eldon's stories and a shared connection to the land.

What drives Eldon to alcoholism?

Eldon is a lifelong alcoholic, but the novel does cite his one bout of sobriety: when Eldon is with Angie. Eldon first drinks because Eldon carries the pain of Jimmy's death with him, having been forced to kill Jimmy during the Korean War. Eldon also leaves his mother with her abuser when he is young, and this, too, is a motivation to drink. When Angie is pregnant, Eldon begins to drink again out of fear of being a father, his shame, and his inability to discuss his emotions. Overall, a large factor in Eldon's lifelong drinking is his being unable to forgive himself.

Describe the significance of the land in Medicine Walk.

The land is immensely significant in Medicine Walk, for a myriad of reasons. For one, the land is the one place Frank has always felt at home; for a boy who does not fit in at school and who desires to know more about himself, the land provides solace in its familiarity. The land is also important because it establishes a deep emotional connection between Frank and the old man. The old man taught Frank all he knows about the land, how to respect it, how to honor it. It is through the land that the old man and Frank forge their father-son connection, despite the old man not being Frank's biological father. Lastly, the land connects Frank to his ancestors and to their stories. Eldon tells Frank stories of his past while the two of them are out on the land, and so the land becomes a site for remembering the past.

How does racism function within the novel? Is racism overtly present in the novel?

Racism is overtly present in Medicine Walk when Frank and Eldon leave town, and the townspeople openly stare at them. This is an instance of racism because Eldon and Frank are made into a spectacle by the townspeople because of their Indigeneity. Otherwise, racism functions covertly within the novel, although racism is very much present. When Eldon was young, he and his parents had to gather firewood and sell it in order to survive. The immense poverty that Eldon grew up in is an example of structural racism, as Canadian and US governments kept Indigenous communities impoverished through putting them on reservations, stealing Indigenous lands, and the institution of residential schools.

What is Becka Charlie's role within the novel?

While Becka Charlie is a seemingly peripheral character in Medicine Walk, she is important to the novel's plot for her provision of medicine and her advice to Frank. Becka effectively reframes how Frank views Eldon's stories, as Becka tells Frank that Eldon did a brave thing in telling his story. Becka also provides Eldon with medicine that helps with Eldon's alcohol withdrawal. Becka's medicine enables Eldon's storytelling because it keeps Eldon alive for longer, meaning Frank gets to know his father's history. In these two acts, Becka assumes a healing role within the novel.