Green Grass Running Water a Look into the Theme

Throughout Thomas King's Green Grass Running Water, a recurring theme seems to be indiscreetly explained through small but significant parts of the story. The theme as it relates to Passage one where a simple question is asked, Where did the water come from? Is in reference to the struggle of the Indian people to keep their identity, culture, and beliefs as a result of the slow but steady europeanization of North America. In response to a simple question lies many hidden messages and intertextual references which all relate to the stories theme. The reoccurrence of water mentioned throughout the story expresses its importance and hidden meanings. The relation of water to the characters and the Indians as a whole is not defined, rather it is shown through simple stories and imagery which expresses the theme and the importance as it relates to the characters of the story. The theme explored in this story gives an honest evaluation of reality as it relates to the Indian struggle that has seemed to become so prevalent over time. The result of years of Confusion, anger, and a rapid deteriation of the Indian culture was a direct result of the build up of water in puddles, Dams, and eyes. The Indian people needed to realize the direction that they were headed and do something about it. This all came to a pinnacle as seen in the bursting of the dam The dam gave way, and the water and the cars tumbled over the edge of the world(pg.414) This was the erasing of the past and the acceptance of what had become of their existence and the hope for a new and prosperous future for as long as the grass is green and the water runes .

These four women were seen very evidently in two main characters. Alberta and Lionel ,two very different people, both took totally different paths but both ended up at the same place. For Alberta to realize that she had been running from her self and culture and after a long conversation with Connie it made her realize that she didnt have every thing under control. It all came to a climax and she finally broke down and cried after a life time of trying to be strong not needing anybody. You know, womens libber. Connie turned her head and winked. Its okay. So am I. Alberta started to Laugh, and then she began to cry (pg.307) Hawkeye As you may know by now, Hawkeye is a white woodsman and hunter in the story he orginates from. His real name is Natty Bumppo and goes by several names of the Long Rifle and scout. He is known as a bridge between white and Indian cultures identifying himself by his white race and his social world of Indian friends Chingachook and Uncas. Although Hawkeye cherishes individuality and makes judgments without regards to race, he still believes his own whiteness as 'genuine' (Sparknotes).

King criticizes Hawkeye's contradictions of befriending Indians but thinking whites are unique. (Pg. 392394)--> page numbers would be helpful here] -Hawkeye's real name Natty Bumppo is changed to Nasty Bumppo -Old Woman's comment that white are superior and Indians are inferior, and Nasty Bumppo agreeing -Nasty Bumppo wanting to shoot Old Woman because she isn't his friend Chingachook <-- and,

Chingachook is Hawkeye's 'Indian buddy' in the original story.

Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger was one of six Texas Rangers who rode into an ambush. This ranger is the only survivor of the six and he is rescued by an Indian named Tonto. The Lone Ranger makes a mask for himself and sets off to right injustice with his Indian sidekick Tonto. The Lone Ranger was considered a righteous character who was portrayed in television shows, comic books, and movies. There was a case where the actor of the Lone Ranger wore the costume around until a corporation halted this because they had featured another actor in the film. Fortunately, later on the original Lone Ranger actor regained his mask and was able to wear it in public appearances again.

King captures the Lone Ranger costume story in GGRW -First Woman is allowed to wear the Lone Ranger mask (Pg. 121) -the second time she tries to wear it she is captured along with Ahdamn and taken to Fort Marion (Pg.100) -First Woman regains her mask and wears it, allowing her to walk out of Fort Marion

Ishmael

Ishmael is the narrator for Moby Dick. The story is about a journey to find and kill the whale Moby Dick. It includes a whaling ship Pequod with captain Ahab and his crew including a literary Ishmael and Ishmael's friend Queequeg <-- who is Ishmael's Indian buddy] . In Moby Dick, Ishmael reveals he has turned to the sea because he feels alienation from the human society. Ishmael also appears in the Bible story where he is Abraham and his maidservant Hagar's son. Ishmael and Hagar were expelled from the family upon request of Abraham's wife Sarah.

King captures Ishmael's story in reference to Moby Dick and to the Bible -Changing Woman is expelled from the boat and left on the island like how Ishmael and Hagar were expelled from the family -Moby Jane , instead of Moby Dick appears in the story

* I also get the idea that maybe King is making some sort of connection to a controversial topic of the Bible being sexist by making Moby Dick a Moby Jane? And whoever agreed that it was female was thrown overboard, similar to the ideas that are being thrown out to counter the idea that the Bible is sexist.

Robinson Crusoe Robsinson Crusoe is a voyager who became stranded on an island and was forced to survive on his own. He hunted for food, fought off cannibals, and rescued a prisoner named Friday <-- who was his Indian buddy] . Robinson Crusoe is seen as an icon of the British conquest. He is also closely tied to religion as his days on the island led him closer to God and Christianity.

King captures the theme of British colonialism or British conquest in Robinson Crusoe's story -Robinson Crusoe and Thought Woman make a list of good and bad points. Robinson Crusoe says one of the bad points was being a civilized man but not having anyone of color to educate and protect. -He says now that Thought Woman was there, it became a good point because he would have someone there for those purposes.

Good notes - now what do you make of the fact that each of these literary characters had 'Indian sidekicks".... to what literary purpose? I will talk about this Tuesday -- the possible answers to this question bring us to the heart of one imprortant layer of how these characters work in the novel. ---->Jodie

Jane Flick - Reading Notes to Green Grass Running Water The Lone Ranger - masked white man with a faithful Indian companion Texas Ranger Myth - One ranger could be sent to clean up a town Thomas King's ongoing photography project called Shooting The Lone Ranger involves him capturing on film well known Native Americans wearing the Lone Ranger Mask Tonto - The Lone Rangers Indian friend. The name means fool, stupid, or (literally) numbskull in spanish

Hawkeye - white man with an adopted "Indian" name. He was the most famous of the frontier heros in US literature when the frontier was in the East. His real name was Nathaniel bumppo and he was a woodsman/guid with knoledge of Indian ways. He wore a very destinctive leather

jerkin.

Chingachgook - Noble savage, the last of his tribe. Adventures with Hawkeye

Side note - Chingachgook and Tonto were both played by Jay Silverheels in their respective films.

Robinson Crusoe - survives ship wreck and 'rescues' Man Friday from cannibals. In the text there are references to Friday. Coyote says at one point "I'll call you Friday", and one of the four old Indians also remarks "Thank God...It's Friday!". The shirt which the Indian wears in the book (a Hawaiian shirt) sybolizes his desert Island connection. Thomas King - Nocks Crusoe's passion for making lists and weighing the pros and cons of situations. Friday - variation of Indian friend Ishmael - Character in Moby Dick, also survives a shipwreck. The naming of Ishmael on pages 194/5 involves allusion and requires familiarity with the Moby Dick story

Queequeg - faithful Indian friend, cannibal.

Other Notes HIGAYV:LIGE:I is the real ceremonial story opening and signifies divinging for water (and in a sense for the future) Babo was a black slave who lead a revolution on a slave ship and sailed the ship back to Africa. When she and Dr J Hovaugh cross the border into Canada the border guard asks if he has any posessions he needs to declare. He must register Babo, the guard explains this saying "all personal property must be registered" (page 236/7). This becomes an obvious reference to slavery. The three cars (the Pinto, Nissan, and Karmann Ghia) most likely represent Columbus's three ships (the Pinta, the Nina, and the Santa Maria (nicknamed La Gallega)).

The cars crashing into the dam and the earthquake were simultaneous events which both contributed to the falling of the dam George Morningstar is a reference to

General Custer. He was a leader in the attempted genocide of

Natives in the United States and aquired the nickname Morningstar because he always attacked Native camps at the crack of dawn. The novel is peppered with references to this man including the jacket which the four old Natives give to Lionel. John Wayne references in the novel also refer to General

Custer (generally speaking). In the Mental Institution the four Indians were once referred to Mr. Red, White, Black and Blue. This could be a reference to the chapter divison in the novel wher ethe names of the chapters are as follows V1 - East/Red, V2 - South/ White, V3 - West/Black, V4 - North Blue. These directions and colours fall on the sacred medicine wheel and represent a new beginning, growth, ripness, and old age respectively. Page 416 in the novel details Coyote's 'mistakes' and is probably (I think) where most offence is taken by those who are Christian. It credits Coyote for the great flood where Noah had to build an Ark. It also credits him with making the Virgin Mary pregnant (just as he made Alberta pregnant). Hawkeye states that the four Indians "haven't straightened out that mess yet" refering to Mary's pregnancy and the start of Christianity.

Peter Gzowski - Interviews Thomas King on Green Grass Running Water Dr. J Hovaugh - He's a doctor at a mental institution which makes in God there. Whe he looks out to his garden from his office and the novel says he sat in his chair and looked and saw the flowers, pond etc, etc, "he was pleased" refering to a part of the Geneisis story. This is on Page 16 of GGRW. Thomas King wanted to focus on the primary attitudes of North Americans towards Native people The four old Indians were women from the creation stories and were archetypal Indian women characters who were forced by history, literature, and the general run of the world to assume

guises. They were all meant to be white characters associated with an Indian in a relationship such that the two were buddies.

When Babo and Dr J Hovaugh argue Babo is always right

All of this came out of the Canadian Literature journal which UBC publishes. The call number, should you want to go check it out is PR8900C27, volume 160-163 located in the basement of Koerner Library. Unfortunately the journal cannot be signed out and I didnt photocopy it, just read it and took notes. There are a few other articles in there as well, which I just skimmed, containing large amounts of information relating to conecting Green Grass Running Water to the many other literature and historical events which it alludes to. Matchie and Larson examine the way Thomas King (Cherokee/Greek) utilises both Native and non-Native structures and stories in 'Green Grass, Running Water'. King employs a cyclic as well as a linear structure. He also contrasts colonial and popular culture narratives with Native myth. They see the four mythic individuals, the Lone Ranger, Ishmael, Robinson Crusoe, and Hawkeye, as well as Coyote and the firstperson narrator as embodying a mythological narrative which runs through the text. The mythic characters then enter into the realistic plot and 'fix up the world'. The story of Columbus, 'cowboy' narratives and the creation of the world as told in Genesis are seen as linear, dualistic and hierarchical stories which represent the colonial mentality. On the other hand, the Native myths as incorporated by King often involve a connection between water and earth, an interrelationship between humans and animals, and a creation story which can be conceived of as an ongoing act. The mythological passages parallel the realistic plot involving the characters who are associated with the collapse of the dam. In that way, the Native mythic structure recreates the world: 'If we are going to fix the world anew with Coyote, we need to fix our myths' (p. 165). (marfee)