Tommy Orange’s There There is a complex narrative of the past permeating the present. The style in which the story is told stood out to me, because it allows for readers to see common threads among each of the characters' lives, even before they are brought together at the Powwow. Orange draws on themes of identity, oppression, drug and alcohol abuse, physical abuse, and abandonment to illuminate a shared experience among Native Americans living in present day America.
Although many of the characters struggle with their identity as Native Americans due to a history of cultural oppression in the country and lack of connection due to an absent parent, readers can see how sharply their lives are shaped by their heritage although it may not be directly apparent to the characters themselves. One passage that specifically stood out to me happens toward the end of the novel when Edwin Black is discussing the story he wrote with Blue. He talks about a Native American named Phil who’s apartment gets taken over by white hipsters. The story ends with Phil being forced to live in a closet under the stairs which parallels the concept of a reservation. The white man lies to Phil and says that he (Phil) agreed to this arrangement according to the “records” (244-245).The story is merely a modern adaptation of the Native American experience. The comparison is so blunt, that I was surprised when Blue’s response to it was that it reminded her of a friend's situation.Another example of history repeating itself in the book happens throughout the novel as characters struggle with a feeling of displacement and not knowing where home is. Several characters face threats of eviction on their houses which directly links to Native American peoples displacement throughout history, repeatedly being forced off their land. An example of this lack of home and belonging comes when Blue talks about her experience growing up, she says, “I kept on feeling white while being treated like any other brown person wherever I went. I got a job in Oakland at the Indian Center and that helped me to feel more like I belonged somewhere” (198). This sentiment is expressed throughout the novel as characters struggle with their identities as Native Americans, often because only one of their parents is Native American, they are adopted, or their parents are not present. In the above examples we can see how Orange tells his story to represent a uniquely modern experience of Native Americans, while still showing that their current experiences are rooted in the past.
Edwin's story about Phil is an ironic representation of modern Native Americans' dilemma. On one hand, they are still suppressed by the mainstream, on the other hand, Native Americans are experiencing intersectionality.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the history of mistreatment towards Native Americans is repeating itself. The historical problems never got resolved. From the prologue and the interlude, we could see how the whites continuously oppressed Native Americans by giving them last names, putting their head on TV test patterns, collecting their heads for exhibitions, and shooting them. Some of these didn't stop until 50 years ago. Major discriminations have diminished nowadays, but the trauma they brought to the old generation is irreversible. The trauma was then passed down to the next generation.
The novel demonstrates the intersectionality between modern technology and traditional Native American culture. Edwin is a great example of this contradiction. He is tech-savvy but desires to explore his Native Americanness by joining the Powwow committee. His background makes his story about Phil realistic and ironic. The novel also demonstrates the intersectionality between white culture and Native American culture. Thomas Frank is half white and half Native American. He felt that "you're from a people who took and took and took and took. And from a people taken. You were both and neither" (216). This contradiction is also the main cause of pain for a lot of urban Native Americans in the book.