Minor Characters In Erdrich's The Round House

Overall the book gives a level of depth and openness that was startling as an uninformed individual. As the book is a direct insight to Lori’s schizophrenic mind as she recalls in detail her thoughts and experiences revolving her stays in the psychiatric ward and halfway houses. Indeed the progression of Lori’s illness is reflected in the author of the chapters in her book. For in the middle of the book, where Lori is in the depths of her psychosis, the story is carried on by her parents

The character of Linda is very similar to the character of Abby from Blood Simple, who was also portrayed by Frances McDormand. Abby is described as the “woman whose weakness and dissatisfaction set the story in motion. She saves herself against all odds, but this is more of a matter of random good fortune than of either sangfroid or intelligence” (16-17). A similar case could be made for Linda. Linda’s dissatisfaction with her body and need to “reinvent” herself drives the plot as she desperately tries to acquire money to pay for her plastic surgeries. She fails to recognize that the “intel” she thinks she has is completely useless, and she still selfishly pushes onwards coming up with plan after plan, without even realizing the deadly full extent of her actions.

Linda is the most important woman in the book. Even though she shows up in the end of the book for the one story, she was Tim O'Brien's first love. "I just loved her. She had poise and great dignity. Her eyes, I remember, were deep brown like her hair, and she was slender and very quiet and fragile-looking" (228). This shows how much he loves her, he can recall much detail after so long. The reason she is so important is, she is the one

Later, Linda turns out to be a genuine person, very precious and willing to give, and, in spite of the cruel way in which the news were given to her. Linda becomes the one with the power of giving new life. At that point, she chooses instinctively not to repeat the actions of her birth mother. With the play of events Linda attempts to connect the presence she felt her entire life being Linden. “ I had never before thought of the presence in relation to my twin, who’d grown up not an hours drive away from me, but that night the combination of the phone call out of the blue and twelve-letter word in my puzzle set my thoughts flowing.” (Erdrich page 3)

Additionally, there is another major focus on plot to indicate what will eventually happen to Lyman and Henry when the reader gets to the end of the story. Erdrich foreshadows what event will take place and separate these two brothers forever, right in the beginning of

One thing she did was she learned to be cunning and outwitting. She proved to be cunning to Dr. Flint one night which was a major step on her part. “Who can blame slaves for being cunning? They are constantly compelled to resort to it. It is the only weapon of the weak and oppressed against the strength of tyrants,” (85). Linda had no other choice. She is the weak and oppressed while Dr. Flint is the tyrant. She had a goal in mind and was willing to do whatever it took to master it. That night, her intelligence saved her which means intelligence became weapon against tyrants. She also showed grit when up north and with people she couldn’t trust. Even though she was in a place she was technically free, she was not really free. Slavery made her unable to trust white people. The way they deceived her, used her, she lost all confidence in them which made her insecure. If this new family she was with showed her kindness, she would think they had some selfish ulterior motive, that they just wanted something out of her (139). She took her experience of being cunning with her to this family and she was taking precaution because she honestly did not know if she was safe or if she could even trust these people. Years passed between these two events which showed that she stayed with her grit over a very long time. Being cunning saved her once, and it saved her twice. She had mastered becoming cunning because of her experiences while in slavery.

The narrator in Louise Erdrich’s The Strange People is characterized as a doe, a “lean gray witch” (i, 20) and finally, a “shadowy body.”(i, 25) Her own actions ultimately trigger this transformation, and are further emphasized through three jarring shifts within the poem. Despite portraying the narrator as prey in the beginning, she is not faultless. By placing double meanings on the word “burning,” (i, 6) it allows the self-destructive actions of the narrator to be evident. Also, by juxtaposing the cold and warmth described in the poem, the reasoning behind the doe’s self-destructive actions is explained, and ultimately paints her in a more nuanced light. Even so, her self-destructive actions highlight the consequences resulting from her attempt at self-preservation. She transforms into a “lean gray witch” to save herself, and yet it destroys her self-identity. The poem exposes the bleak yet nuanced consequences of destructive desires and self-preservation, and how even when necessary and justified, leads to the unfortunate loss of one’s identity.

Linda is the first character who truly looks out for Tzili. She calls to the other refugees to help Tzili when she can no longer continue on the journey herself, they made a make shift stretcher and carried her with them as a team so she would not be left behind. The actions Linda displays are both protective and maternal. She stays with Tzili after losing her child and they venture to British Mandate Palestine together in search of a new beginning.

In “Lives of the Dead”, O’Brien’s own innocence is preserved through the memory of Linda, a memory that remains untarnished by the inevitable corruption that results from life. O’Brien’s writings “save Linda’s life. Not her body--her life” (236). Storytelling and memories preserve the value of Linda’s existence while simultaneously allowing O’Brien to process death and destruction in a way that maintains a degree of optimism regarding his own life and future. Juxtaposing the images of body and life emphasizes his desire to save the idea of Linda while accepting the loss of her physical presence. O’Brien rejects the idea of death as absolute and final; instead he suggests that “once you are alive, you can never be dead” (244). Linda’s death solidifies her importance in O’Brien’s own development; she teaches him about life and real love as much as in death as in life. O’Brien’s paradoxical statement defines the lasting impact of Linda on him; her presence in his stories keeps her alive through memory; memories that even her death

The literary purpose is apparent throughout. Erdrich uses every opportunity to entertain her audience with the

Linda is the most important woman in the book. Even though she shows up in the end of the book for the one story, she was Tim O'Brien's first love. "I just loved her. She had poise and great dignity. Her eyes, I remember, were deep brown like her hair, and she was slender and very quiet and fragile-looking" (228). This shows how much he loves her, he can recall much detail after so long. The reason she is so important is, she is the one that gives Tim the ability to keep storytelling. Tim and Linda were in love, he even recalls the night they went on a date, when they were only in 5th grade. "That night, I remember, she wore a new red cap, which seemed very stylish and

Linda represents elements of the past that can be brought back through imagination and storytelling. Linda, a classmate of O’Brien’s who died of a brain tumor in the fifth grade, symbolizes O’Brien’s faith that storytelling is the best way for him to negotiate pain and confusion, especially the sadness that surrounds death. Linda was O’Brien’s first love and also his first experience with death’s senseless arbitrariness. His retreat into his daydreams after her funeral provided him unexpected relief and rationalization. In his dreams, he could see Linda still alive, which suggests that through imagination—which, for O’Brien, later evolves into storytelling—the dead can continue to live.

Linda is given nothing but motive for wanting her husband, Willy, to die because of the ways he mistreats her. For example, during a family conversation in Act I, Linda, trying to put in a few words, says, "Maybe things are beginning to change-," with Willy coming in right after her, "(wildly enthused, to Linda)Stop interrupting!..."(1187) Linda, trying desperately to be a part of the conversation, is constantly denied her voice. Always under Willy's control,

Linda, for all her warmth and goodness, goes along with her husband and sons in the best success-manual tradition.  She tries to protect them from the forces outside and fails.  The memory of her suffering and her fidelity does not keep Willy and Happy from sex or Biff from wandering.  Miller's irony goes still deeper.  While Linda is a mirror of goodness and the source of the family's sense of identity, she is not protection - by her silence and her support, she unwittingly cooperates

Susie worries most about her gifted and petulant sister Lindsay. Lindsay is only one year younger but still is not told directly about what's happened to Susie; instead she hears telephone snippets and bits of conversations between her parents and the police. After hearing her father describe Susie's features, she asks her father not to lie to her, so he doesn't; but even answering her question, he can't face the truth of his words. Susie watches Lindsay sitting alone in her bedroom trying to harden herself. As the story unfolds, it is clear that Lindsay carries the hardest burden, because no one will ever be able to look at her and not think about Susie. By losing her sister, Lindsay is in danger of being robbed of herself.