Critical Analysis and Book Review for Trauma and Oppression

Question: Discuss about theCritical Analysis and Book Review for Trauma and Oppression. Answer: Three Day Road is a fiction centering round war, trauma, oppression and violence, survival is written by Joseph Boyden. The author is a professor by profession and an alma mater of Brebeuf College School, New York University. Set at the backdrop of wild and unexplored Northern Ontario, the novel falls under the genre of historical fiction and discovers the trauma of war and violence like many other commendable books like The Invisible Injured: Psychological Trauma in the Canadian Military from the First World War to Afghanistan. Both the books explore the intricate and unfathomable relationship between warfare and deep-rooted psychological trauma. In the novel by Boyden its major themes are depicted through the remarkable Cree characters of Niska, Xavier and their journey through life. Thesis Statement: Joseph Boyden masterfully digs deeper into the themes of identity, war and crisis to paint the picture of the disgruntled First Nations lifestyle and culture, mental disorientation and spiritual which was severely annihilated by war. The author Joseph Boyden portrays the lives dissected by an inhumane war period and exposes the pertinent themes by taking the readers into the abyss of physical, spiritual and emotional tumult as a consequence of World War I through various characters. The novel ultimately brings to the forefront the torn and tattered Canada followed by the culmination of destruction and damage of World War I. the themes of alienation, mental and mental trauma are delineated through the characters of Xavier, internal war time crisis and estrangement from ones self and culture in Elijah, gender based subjugation, torture and woman power in the character of Niska. Author creates the character of Xavier resonating with a number of vital themes like loss of the self, psychological trauma and spiritual desolation due to war. The author makes the narrative poignant through the voices of Xavier and Niska to make the themes more accentuated to the readers. Xavier Bird, one of the fundamental characters in understanding the novel is a free-spirited Canadian Cree man who goes through a mental upheaval once he joins the war. His descend into alcoholism and spiritual barrenness is a result of war however, his strong bonding with his cultural ties and norms sets him apart from his friend Elijah. Xaviers cultural ties and consciousness becomes his saving grace during the banalities of the war that wreaked havoc on each and every Aboriginal character of the novel. The trauma that he undergoes induced by the gory picture of men bleeding to death in the battle-field haunts him, burdening him with a strong and pricking guilt conscience[1]. The disorientation and final detachment of identity within Xavier becomes apparent when he gradually becomes indifferent to the violent killings. Elijah and Xavier survive on drugs to escape from the terrifying circumstances that surrounded them as a result of the war. With the character of Xavier Bird we comprehend how Boyden has strived to uncover and weave poetry with the suppressed history of the marginalized and establish a concrete story with deconstructed records of the Aboriginal history. The narrative therefore becomes thoroughly dispersed with myths and history, creating the perfect blend for the novel to keep its readers engrossed[2]. Elijah is the epitome of war time crisis that can be traced internally within an individual and the consequences of trying to break free from ones roots and ethnic background. Similarly, the widespread lifestyle shift that is another face of World War I can be analyzed carefully by the character portrait of Elijah whose sense of alienation from Aboriginal culture is more and more apparent as he tries to accommodate himself into the mainstream Canadian culture. Elijah is the best friend of Xavier who desperately tries to break away from his old ties by changing his taste in clothes and apparels. Elijah develops and assimilates within himself a sadistic pleasure from brutal killing which can be interpreted as an immediate aftermath of war that plagued Canada. Elijah slow decline into mental derangement becomes apparent from his obsession with killing and the vast amount of satisfaction that he draws from it. Elijahs character is the slow amalgamation of different cultural components an d his own exposure to those elements due to the introduction of a foreign element called war in Canada. The book employs post-traumatic stress disorder subtly into the character of Elijah. It provides testimony to Canadian history which has stated how Aboriginals went through a breakdown regarding the concept of self-identity. War essentially destroyed the tie to their ethnicity Elijah goes through behavioral identity crisis where he behaves superficially under the all pervasive influence of war. Conflicted or inconsistent identity slowly engulfs Elijah. Boyden, uses the character Niska, to highlight a number of themes like woman empowerment, male dominance, cultural trauma, racism, power equation and the tale of a strong Aboriginal woman in the novel. Accordingly in the novel, Niska is the victim of violent gender discrimination as she suffers through random infliction of physical violence, betrayal and subjugation. The character also paves the way for the exploration of a razor-like power equation that is another consequence of the war period. She is constantly dominated by the European settlers and left voiceless due to her identity as an Aboriginal woman[3]. Gender based violence is not only depicted through physical tortures but the mental turmoil that she experiences throughout the war-time. Racial discrimination is also portrayed through the characterization of Niska and Xavier which was a product of Colonization that pervaded Canada till World War II. Niskas character however, can be analyzed from a feminist perspective as sh e finally discovered the hidden potential within her. Niska gives vivid expression to how trauma and mental wound are associated with white colonialism in the form of war creating cultural trauma within her. Niska is representative of Aboriginal primitivism which is repeatedly subjected to white supremacy and power. The author has also assigned her with non-stereotypical gender roles like hunting and stalking through the bush that one would generally associate with a strongly built man. Niska is someone who gives us a vivid portrait of a proud and strong Cree woman emerging victorious even after the upheavals that she goes through. She is additionally the source of power and replenishment in a war-torn Canada who finally rescues a wounded Xavier and nourished him physically and emotionally. In conclusion it can be firmly asserted that war has a number of consequences apart from the immediate economic depletion. The consequences like mental and physical trauma, exposure to a foreign culture, emotional upheaval, gender-based violence, racism, and disorientation of identity, self-detachment and the like are common in the Canadian war literature that has been chronicled by a number of authors in the past[4]. The manifestations of these destructive consequences get coherent reflection through the characters of Xavier, Niska and Elijah, indispensable to the novel[5]. As far as my personal opinions are concerned, the novel is masterpiece when it comes to the portrayal of war time crisis. The readers are not just passive readers but active participants of the story and take part in the journeys of these three characters. The book apart from giving the readers the pleasure of literatures gives a brief excursion into the historical facts blending with the power of imagination. Bo yden makes it comprehensible to the readers with commendable precision the ways by which militarism and warfare can prove destructive. In the history of Canadian literature, Three Day Road will be invaluable, recording the lives of the marginalized and the restoring power of family. The transformation in the character of Xavier Bird due to the presence of war is something very intriguing and keeps me glued to the pages. Three Day Road makes it explicit the significance of being familiar and firmly knotted with ones cultural background, beliefs and set of practices to maintain coherence and continuity. Bibliography List: Bates, Catherine MF.Use of Canadian Books in Ontario Public and Catholic Intermediate and Secondary English Departments: Results of a Survey of Teachers of Grades 7 through 12. Ontario Book Publishers Organization, 2017. Bowers, Maggie Ann. "Literary activism and violence against Native North American women: the urgency for sovereignty."Wasafiri32, no. 2 (2017): 48-53. Wang, Mei-Chuen. "Speaking in the Past Tense: Canadian Novelists on Writing Historical Fiction."British Journal of Canadian Studies20, no. 2 (2007): 323.