Joseph Boyden’s Three Day Road was a novel that I found to be thoroughly fascinating. In fact, given that I am a military enthusiast, even prior to reading the novel, I was already stoked when I heard that the novel is about the experience of Xavier and Elijah, who are two Aboriginal Canadian snipers during the First World War. However, what I found to be more intriguing than the series of adrenaline-pumping action that takes place in the novel is Boyden’s use of narrative as a means to bring into light a piece of Canadian history that has remained largely forgotten.

My first impression of Three Day Road is that the novel as a whole really serves to reinforce one of the central arguments that Willie Van Peer makes in his article that we all studied last semester titled, “Literature, Imagination, and Human Rights”. In the article, Van Peer mentions about how literature has the ability to portray characters in a way that would chance the public perception of certain social groups. In Three Day Road, we see that the novel’s portrayals of Elijah and Xavier serve to invalidate the general consensus in Canada at the time of the First World War that Aboriginal soldiers were unable to engage in combat at the level of competence as a white soldier. In the novel, Elijah and Xavier are the most proficient shooters in the predominantly White-Canadian infantry force. Through this, it is evident that Boyden’s novel intends to promote awareness about the role that Aboriginal Canadians played in the war, which has long been marginalized in history.

Xavier, the protagonist of the novel, undergoes a very dynamic change throughout the novel. On numerous occasions, Xavier appears on the most part passive compared to Elijah. While still a student at residential school, he is for the most part submissive towards the unjust treatment by the school’s nun unlike Elijah, who goes as far as stealing her rifle in defiance. While on the front lines during the war, Xavier appears to be more or less dependent on Elijah for support and direction, in part due to his lack of proficiency in the English language as well as the cruelty of his commanding officer, Lt. Breech. However, nearing the end of the novel, Xavier begins to become more indifferent towards Elijah for he realizes and no sooner resents his bloodthirsty attitude. As a result, during his last battle, Xavier makes an incredibly bold move that takes Elijah’s life at the moment he realizes that he will lose his life if he chooses to follow Elijah’s directions. Having been responsible for the death of a fellow combatant, Xavier in the end experiences a profound feeling of guilt.

I don’t know if my interpretations are necessarily correct, for it is based solely on my personal understanding of the novel. Given that the publication of Three Day Road was as recent as 2005, I really was not able to find much scholarly commentary on the novel. That being said, if you have any disagreement with any comments that I made, feel free to tell me for I will be more than happy to hear them.