I’ve come across Joseph Boyden’s works before, his book Three Day Road  was the first  book I’ve ever read with aboriginal protagonists. In fact, Boyden’s books have been the only I’ve come across to specifically incorporate the history and culture of the James Bay Cree into a fictional narrative. From further research Boyden’s works seem to focus on the issues revolving around indigenous communities from past and present as they face an imperialized future. As Three Day Road told the story of two James Bay Cree boys faced with cultural assimilation amongst the chaos of  World War I, similarly, the short story “Painted Tongue” tells the modern story of a homeless indigenous man  surviving on the streets of Toronto . From what I know about the author Boyden comes from my home province of Ontario with  European and  Métis decent. It’s clear to see the history of his province and heritage as factors influencing in his work. For example, both Three Day Road and “Painted Tongue” take place in Ontario,  and both draw upon the experiences of residential school -Painted Tongue refers to residential school a couple times with the phrase, “Repeat one hundred times. Write it out on the blackboard five hundred times, then sit in the corner facing away from the class…”.  In all, I suppose it would be accurate to say everyone’s history whether it be tribal or not makes an impact and shapes our views. Joseph Boyden could then be said to be impacted by his  tribal history by articulating it into fictional novels and short stories that do a great deal in in turn by expanding our own histories.

Hiromi Goto’s The Kappa Child depicts the story of an unnamed narrator as she dreams her way through the hardships of domestic violence, racism, and sexual orientation while growing up in a homogenous prairie society. Japanese folklore influences the narrator deeply to the point in which she believes she has immaculately conceived a Kappa despite medical authority telling her otherwise, “But there’s this sensation of not being alone in my body…And not only that, it kicks and prods and pushes from the inside” (104). Perhaps the kappa the narrator feels is meant to represent an intuitive feeling of disconnect between body and mind. Throughout the chapters the narrator often feels the Kappa’s presences the most when experiencing hunger, she seems to associate her growling stomach as separate from her own body. This idea of disconnect is a reoccurring theme. At the beginning of the novel the narrator comments on her reflection noting the detachment between self and appearance, “The odd thing about your looks is that you never see your own face. Funny how that works. How your reflection isn’t really who you are, just an image of your real self contained in glass” (14). Indeed, Goto creates a character that seems to see herself as an anomaly, a presence outside the confines of what her family and society want and expect her to be. From a readers perspective the fantasy enthralled plot seems to be a device for underlining discord between the narrator and her environment. In all, The Kappa Child’s depiction of childhood and adult life steaming from a place of mystery and hardships give the reader an option to read between the lines and decide between what is said and what is meant.

Mootoo’s style of writing in Out on Main Street does a good job of putting the narrator’s voice in your head. It’s hard to read it without imagining an accent, but it also takes a little getting used to as the meaning can get lost. Throughout the pages, the narrator appears to be preoccupied with how others view her and her girlfriend. On a casual outing with her girlfriend the narrator, as if used to negative responses, feels the need to constantly keep an eye out for others who might challenge the legitimacy of her relationship going as far as threatening violence, “I tell she not to pay de brothers no attention, because if any a dem flirt with she I could start a fight right dere and den” (50).The narrator seems to make quick judgments on people based on glances and gestures, determining that the men she passes on the street want to “fix” her and the women are afraid of any sexual advances on her part. It seems like the narrator is in constant battle with a populace that doesn’t respect her way of life. Mootoo really makes this clear when the one person outside of her private sphere whom she responds positively with, the giraffe lady, looks at her with disgust upon realizing she is a lesbian. Over all, Mootoo’s writing conveys the struggle of a homosexual couple in a heterosexual society rather well, although making it a little difficult with the lack of correct grammar and spelling.

Margret Atwood’s, “The Handmaids tale” is an accurate depiction of a dystopian world.  Women are the predominate target  in Gilead, the theocratic society under the dictatorship of a male regime stripes the rights and liberties  women previously held  and  treat them  more like appliances rather than people. Much like a machine prized for its function,  Offred as a fertile woman is forced to engage in bizarre mating rituals to counter the drop in birth rate. This depiction of a world in which women no longer have the right to reside over their bodies is a large contrast to the movie Juno.

The movie, in turn,  portrays  pregnancy in a positive light and even  as a better alternative to abortion.  Perhaps, the most contrasting point between “The Handmaids Tale” and Juno is this question of choice. Where Offred is horribly forced into becoming a dehumanized vessel for child birth, Juno decides against abortion by choice. Though, Juno’s actions seem a bit arbitrary, in that she decides against an abortion based on a last minute decision, she none the less was not coerced into her choice.  Moreover, it seems  these stories create opposing  effects. Where “The Handmaid’s Tale”  emphasizes the importance of choice, Juno advocates a more pro-life approach.  As Dr. Heather Latimer writes in her article, “Popular culture and reproductive politics”  popular media seems to make abortion a ‘dirty word’. Indeed, it can be said that ‘juno’ has an anti-abortion feel- as when Juno’s class mate protests in front of the abortion clinic. Yet, this is  perhaps for comic effect rather than a serious stance on abortion. Overall, if one can take anything from these narratives it might be the knowledge that  pregnancy and the right to one’s own body continues to be an issue reflected  in literacy and popular media.