The Medicine Bag Short Story Analysis

Along the way Martin meets Wallumudulla and learns they are all on the journey but for different reasons they know this because in wallumudullas time the property dose not exist yet wallumandulla believes the journey to “be a journey of my feet and if my spirit, I have to go alone” (pg 116) by now Martin has been though so much and his perspective of the land has changed dramatically, Martin now agrees with ted that “this isn't my place, or yours, or megs no more mine than draculers. I just look after it that's what we are human care-takers” (pg186). For the rest of the journey Martin realised how selfish he was and he now wants to become a care taker and care for the

The reader is almost forced to look at the actions of the grandmother as being similar to that of a young child. There's not a quiet moment with her around and she never sits still. The reader tends to have a negative perception of the grandmother due to these personality traits. However, these traits are expressed in a comical way causing the reader to be annoyed by the grandmother, but also entertained.

When I was in first grade, I wanted to learn how ride a bike. My older siblings could all ride bikes, and I wanted the same independence that they had. Instead of going to my dad for help, I walked my pink unicorn bike to the top of a hill by myself. I got on the bike and pushed off. That day I fell several times, but I was not going to give in to failure. I wanted to prove that I could do anything that my older siblings could do. Finally, I got back up to the top of the hill, pushed off, pedaled, and I was riding my bike all by myself. By wanting to learn how to ride my bike by myself and not wanting to help of others, I was showing pride. Pride can be dangerous, but it is also a way to motivate people

The right of passage that is most significant to me is passing down tradition like the story the medicine bag. The medicine bag has an important rite of passage in the story because it’s saying that families have their traditions. In the story Martin gets the medicine bag that his grandfather passed along to him once he knew it was his time to go. His grandfather came a long way to give it to Martin. He showed Martin what to put in it and what to do once it’s in hi possession.

The short story “The Medicine Bag” by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve and the video Apache Girl’s Rite of Passage by National Geographic have many differences and similarities to introduce the reader to Native American rites of passage. The most significant difference is that the short story emphasizes the emotional struggle of Martin, while the video shows the physical struggle of Dachina Cochise. This can be shown in the short story when it states, “’Thank you, Grandpa.’ I said softly...Two weeks later, I stood alone on the lonely prairie of the reservation and put the sacred sage in my medicine bag.”(Sneve 78, 79) In contrast, the video shows, “These four days mean little sleep, scant food, and the need to set aside emotion. Throughout the ordeal, she must wear a face of stoic resolve.”(National Geographic) At this point in the short story, Martin successfully receives and inherits the medicine bag from his Grandpa and goes to the reservation to put the sacred sage in the medicine bag, signifying that he is the new bearer. As shown from the video quote, Dachina Cochise is starting her trials, but she has to go with little food or sleep and keep a straight face the whole time. This proves that the type of journey they go through makes a big difference in the purpose and meaning of the story. Martin starts as embarrassed about his culture and the medicine bag because he is afraid his friends will make fun of him. Throughout the story, it emphasizes his emotional growth and he

Martin is an average teen that lives with his parents and his younger sister Cheryl when his life is interrupted when his Lakota Grandpa comes to visit. Grandpa tells the story of his culture and life as an Indian, but Martin was afraid that his grandfather might not live up to the expectations he implemented into the minds of his friends. Sadly his grandfather was sick and tired, so he gave Martin the medicine bag as a passing gift to remember his family’s culture. In the end, Martin visited the Iowa sanctuary as a way to commemorate his grandfather and the medicine bag. The hardships of judging your family, culture and those around you are difficult to do unless experience, the description, and events experience by Martin explain these events and the meaning of the discovery changed him for the better. In the story, “The Medicine Bag”, the remarkable events during Grandpa’s visit enlightened Martin of the importance of family culture and the acceptance of others.

Every individual has traditions passed down from their ancestors. This is important because it influences how families share their historical background to preserve certain values to teach succeeding generation. N. Scott Momaday has Native American roots inspiring him to write about his indigenous history and Maxine Hong Kingston, a first-generation Chinese American who was inspired by the struggles of her emigrant family. Kingston and Momaday manipulate language by using, metaphors, similes, and a unique style of writing to reflect on oral traditions. The purpose of Kingston’s passage is to reflect upon her ancestor’s mistake to establish her values as an American

The conflict between Martin and his son, Gabriel, is that Gabriel wants to join the Continental Army but Martin does not want him to. Martin is a veteran of the French and Indian War and he does not want his son to be involved in the dangers of war. Gabriel did the right thing by listening to his heart. He was able to serve his country by fighting for them. Gabriel was also able to fight right beside his father which

It is a story about the soldiers and their experiences and emotions that are brought

Characterization is used to address how ignorant a person can be to his or her heritage in the short story “Everyday Use,” by Alice Walker. The author shows the way of living, of a family to display the reader the way heritage is forgotten and, or ignored. In this short story the author uses a mother, and two daughters, Dee and Maggie, to demonstrate how different the thoughts are between a family and how they honor their heritage.

Traditions and old teachings are essential to Native American culture; however growing up in the modern west creates a distance and ignorance about one’s identity. In the beginning, the narrator is in the hospital while as his father lies on his death bed, when he than encounters fellow Native Americans. One of these men talks about an elderly Indian Scholar who paradoxically discussed identity, “She had taken nostalgia as her false idol-her thin blanket-and it was murdering her” (6). The nostalgia represents the old Native American ways. The woman can’t seem to let go of the past, which in turn creates confusion for the man to why she can’t let it go because she was lecturing “…separate indigenous literary identity which was ironic considering that she was speaking English in a room full of white professors”(6). The man’s ignorance with the elderly woman’s message creates a further cultural identity struggle. Once more in the hospital, the narrator talks to another Native American man who similarly feels a divide with his culture. “The Indian world is filled with charlatan, men and women who pretend…”

Throughout the entire world, there is an idea of the social facade of how one should appear and no one is an exception to this. The south is particularly known for this and is seen throughout the various stories read in this class. One author who demonstrates this concept of social facade is Katherine Anne Porter in her story, The Jilting of Granny Weatherall. It is the story of a grandmother who is a hypocrite, not only to herself, but the whole town and obsessed with her appearance in how people view her and her family.These ideas can also be seen in Flannery O’Connor’s story A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Porter’s other story, The Old Order. The main theme seen in these stories is this idea of social facade and hypocrisy.

The culture in the story above is that the elderly awful and not beloved by most of the family. One example of why the elderly is treated with disrespect is the when the college student Kelsey Harmon from Oklahoma visited her grandpa or, “Papaw” when her grandpa made a dinner for all of his six grandkids. But sadly, only one, which was kelsey showed. As you can see in the photo, he is really sad and disappointed. Another example of why the culture in story is that elderly people are treated horribly is when a grandfather who grew too old to walk, see, hear, or even chew is his own food due to him being toothless was treated bad by his own wife and son. His wife and ban banned him the dinner table and made him sit in the corner by the stove

Although Martin’s family faces dilemmas, the love in the family remains evident. Initially, the devotion that Martin shows towards his children illustrates his good nature. Martin views his children’s faces as “radiant as flower petals, equally loved” (103). Moreover illustrating his love for his children, Martin “kissed the tiny hand that lay palm-upward” (103). Furthermore, Martin’s hope to hold his family together exhibits his affection for his family. Martin constantly attempts to calm his wife in order to avoid displays of anger(101). “Please go upstairs,”(101) Martin begs of his wife so the children do not get upset seeing their mother frustrated. Lastly, the physical and emotional desire for Emily that Martin has, further shows how he cares for his family. Comforting his wife, Martin exhibits his love for her(104). Martin watched Emily as she slept and his “old anger vanished”(104).

Martin is searching for a solution to his problems that will keep all his loved ones safe. Martin Meadows is an ideal husband. He works hard in his office and his home. Martin is amazingly efficient, tending to the garden, decorating for Christmas, cooking for his children, and pulling their lose teeth. He longs for the days back in Alabama when his family was happy and alcohol was not a part of their lives. From the start of the story Martin is weary from the disappointment he has encountered in the changes seen in his wife.