PRINTED AND ORAL WORDS IN THE XX CENTURY PROSE OF NATIVE AMERICANS (BASED ON ANALISYS OF "TRACKS" BY LOUISE ERDRICH)
Abstract
The article studies the way oral and printed
words are used by Louise Erdrich, American novelist of
partly native origin, to represent two opposed cultures.
She gives poetic features to the world where the sound
of human voice is associated with love, care and kinship.
Words and actions of the characters show how common
traditions in the language can establish connections between
generations and epochs, save lives and help to
discover ones identity. Printed and written speech in
Tracks becomes personification of European tradition
bound to destruction of native American universe. In her
novels Erdrich describes life and stories of her Indian
ancestry. On the one hand, it contradicts her relation to
printed words, but on the other hand, it turns out to be
the only way to keep the tribal culture for further generations
in contemporary circumstances, when Indians are
being vanished by civilization and globalization.
words are used by Louise Erdrich, American novelist of
partly native origin, to represent two opposed cultures.
She gives poetic features to the world where the sound
of human voice is associated with love, care and kinship.
Words and actions of the characters show how common
traditions in the language can establish connections between
generations and epochs, save lives and help to
discover ones identity. Printed and written speech in
Tracks becomes personification of European tradition
bound to destruction of native American universe. In her
novels Erdrich describes life and stories of her Indian
ancestry. On the one hand, it contradicts her relation to
printed words, but on the other hand, it turns out to be
the only way to keep the tribal culture for further generations
in contemporary circumstances, when Indians are
being vanished by civilization and globalization.
References
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