Two Old Women

This story from the beginning was actually more interesting to me than some of the other stories we have read for the class mainly because the story seemed really authentic and as if it was simply being told by a story teller. The story offers a lot to the reader by not only describing the culture of the Indians, but also by showing the reader some "How To's" within that culture such as how to survive, to have patience, and how to forgive. The story of the old woman may at first seem cruel and unusual reading it from an American perspective. However, as readers we must remember that the people in the tribe are merely making a decision for the benefit of the majority. Yes, they are unaware at first of how capable the two old women really are, but that only adds to the story by showing the reader what the tribe learned as well as the woman. The oral tradition is definitely present in this story as many lessons are introduced to the reader. On the surface the story could just be about two old women being left for dead, but when we search for the lessons we see that the women learn how to fend for themselves. There is this idea of everyone taking care of their own while also sharing when it may be necessary. The story was really interesting to me because of how real it seemed because the women changed so significantly throughout the book.

Christine is Ida's sister/cousin?

What? Christine is really the daughter of Ida's aunt and father? That makes her like Ida's sister and cousin all at the same time. Wow, I really have to wrap my head around that one. I have to say that reading Ida's part of the book really did reveal a lot to the reader and I honestly didn't feel like she loved Christine any less than she loved Lee although Lee was really hers. I'm not sure I really understood Ida especially when she didn't tell Willard that it was his child but I think if a man had said I wasn't really pretty or smart but I was accepting I probably wouldn't want him staying around for very much longer either. The book somehow wrapped itself up though the three stories didn't necessarily come together in the end. One thing I would have liked to have seen happen would be for Ida's part to have included more of the present issues such as Christine being sick and abandoning Rayona. I think I now understand why Ida was so okay with taking care of Rayona because she had always been taking care of people and giving them love, understanding, and a place in the world. Overall, I loved the stories within this book and the perspectives only added to my understanding of the central issues present.

How will it all end?

I am really enjoying the latest book we are reading in class, Yellow Raft in Blue Water. It is interesting to me that once again we are reading a book where the perspectives change from chapter to chapter. However, I feel like the amount of time passing is different in this book from Smoke Dancing because in Christine's part she is mostly talking about herself when she was younger. I still remain quite curious about how the title of the book really sums up the book, but I assume that it must be some kind of metaphor for perhaps all three of the characters Rayona, Christine, and Ida. I feel that each on of them is in a way in a middle of a lake surrouned by water because they are so out of reach by other characters in the book in a way. I'm confused as to how the book will come to the close when each section really does not seem to carry on with the same story. I wonder if I will simply be left with what I know about Rayona or if somehow in the end all three of their lives will come together and give some type of sense to the reader about the point of the entire story. Right now I really enjoy Rayona but I can't bring myself to have sympathy for Christine because it seems like since she was younger she has been one of the most selfish people in the book and she continues to be even when she becomes sick. As a reader I think it is easy to feel for Rayona and dislike Christine but I haven't made up my mind about Ida yet.

Rayona

I really am enjoying this book so far. I find Rayona to be very interesting and Christine to be rather annoying. I often find myself wanting to tell Rayona to speak more or try harder because she seems so calm and to herself. I don't understand how she can be so calm when her mom just left her there with her grandmother. That's the only issue I really have with Rayona as a character. I also am not quite sure I understand why she isn't more cautious about the priest after he tells her she is beautiful but perhaps she is in need of attention and some type of "love" after her mother has abandoned her. It's hard for me to read this story because Christine reminds me of my own mother in the sense that she only really cares about herself. I find her completely selfish telling Rayona she is going to kill herself and just putting more pressure and stress on a young girl than she needs to. I understand she is feeling really low because of her life but I think she could be a better mother.

The book ends and the dance begins.

So if I am correct than this post should be on the reading from last week in which we finished Smoke Dancing. I have to say that I was in a way disappointed with the ending of the novel because I guess I wanted more to happen at the end. I don't feel that the reader is really given any more insight into the character of Fiction but perhaps that's how the author wanted it to be. I do however think that Fiction has regained some kind of identity for herself. She is no longer really defining herself how others do. We see this in how one of the last chapters is told by Patricia Tunny rather than her name Fiction. I think she has looked back on that part of her life and can finally be truly happy because she has shown her father that there are people who care about her and who will take her side over his. Also, Bud was shown for the true jerk he really is which I think gave her character closure in the end. As for Mason, I am interested to see what is in store for him and how he deals with the guidelines that tribe counsel has set up for him.
As for Almanac, I think we learned a great deal about the twins and their lives and how they became the way they are and we also learned some about Sterling and what exactly he did to be exiled. I'm very interested to find out more about Seese and her baby and what exactly happened with all that mess. I am beginning to see all the other stories that are present in this book which I think goes back to the whole oral tradition thing. These stories, even in the book seem to be passed on to others and I wonder how much they would change through these re-tellings.

Fiction Exposes Conspiracy

Both books so far are very interesting, though I would have to agree with most that I prefer reading Smoke Dancing to Almanac. My previous post discussed the importance of Bert and I think that she has shown significance throughout the story because her land and what she left behind is being used as tools for each side to fight each other. I realy enjoy watching Fiction develop throughout the novel. When she created the dress and confronted her father in front of everyone it was almost out of character for her because before she had not wanted to tell anyone about anything regarding who had bust her windows or why she had gone to the hospital. I really wonder what exactly fiction wants from her father Bud. I guess I just don't understand exactly what she is searching for. Does she want him to acknowledge she is his or does she want more than that? There are times I feel both ways. Sometimes it seems that she just wants him to admit that he is not a perfect person or Chief. Other times it seems like she really wants him to suffer or pay in some way for how he has wronged her. I'm interested to see how she changes further into the end of the book.
Another thing that bothered me in the story was the fact that Bud signed papers so allow the police to come onto the reservation. I didn't understand why he would do that because I though that the people of the reservation would see this as something horrible and know that he had done it. I understood that he wanted to take down Mason but I felt that that would only make more people against him. I feel odd about Bud because he character seems different when the chapter is told from his point of view. I'm just waiting to see how he turns out.

As for the Almanac, the story of Yoeme is interesting because I think she has affected the lives of the twins quite a lot. What I'm really interested in is Seese's story because I want to know what happened exactly to her baby. The amount of drugs she continues to take just amazes me. I keep hoping she will stop and she is so lucky her baby wasn't born addicted. I wonder what will happen to Lecha in the end and if she will eventually answers Seese's questions.

Smoke Dancing and Oral Tradition

The first reading for Smoke Dancing really surprised me. The story is interesting and intriguing. Oral tradition can be seen throughout the story as pieces of the characters’ lives is shared with other characters from other characters. The reader is being told these stories from the perspective of three of the characters so far, Fiction, Bud, and Mason. They are making the entire book appear as oral fiction because the story is coming from them in each chapter. We also see this going on with Fiction telling the reader more and more about Bert and how she was before she died. Another thing worth mentioning is the relationships between the characters. I am unsure how realistic these relationships are to a real reservation. It seems that in the book, everyone is somehow connected to everyone else. The character of Fiction appears alone but really she is pretty much the most connected to every other character in the book. Her character is complex and confusing. I don’t understand why she wouldn’t make her father take responsibility for beating her. I wish she would confront him in some way before the end of the book. Also, I don’t understand the significance of the character of Bert. She seems to have been housing them all but there just seems to be something still missing from the story about her thus far. She seems too important to just dissolve from the story after her death. I think her relationship to the other characters must be highly significant in some way but the author hasn’t quite revealed that to the reader yet.