Pages 331-338 consists of three chapters and more characters than I can count. I browsed Jane Flick’s GGRW reading guide, and she would has great historical references of the names of King’s characters. For example for Buffalo Bill (43):
King combines the names of two men famous for their hostility to Indians. Holm O. Bursum (1867-1953) was a senator from New Mexico who advocated the exploration and development of New Mexico’s mineral resources. With his eye on the map of New Mexico, he proposed the infamous Bursum Bill of 1921, which aimed to divest Pueblos of a large portion of their lands and to give land title and water rights to non-Indians. See bibliography, Washburn, HNAL The Buffalo Bill part of the name refers to William R Cody (1846-1917), an exploiter of Indians for entertainment in Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show” (Jane Flick).
This unlocks whole new meanings of characters for me, allowing me to have a bigger chuckle reading GGRW. At the same time, having these historical references also heightens both the seriousness and significance of Thomas King’s work.
Jane Flick’s reference guide alludes Robinson Crusoe to Daniel Defoe’s character. That is humorous for in the novel, Robinson Crusoe essentially “enslaves” a native “friend” and calls him Friday. Another character in these pages shares the same name as Fran Striker’s character- The Lone Ranger. Once again, a hero with a “faithful Indian companion;” this is once again humourous as Striker’s Lone Ranger “captures Native Americans.”
Ishmael from Moby-Dick, “is a variation of the faithful “Indian” companion.” Ishmael is also part of the bible as Abraham’s first son. Both survive banishment; one into the desert, and one into the sea. I found that Daniel Quinn’s Ishmael is actually a captured Gorilla, with the ability to communicate. This is similar to how the Coyote is able to communicate as well.
James Fenimore’s Hawkeye is not too different from Marvel Comic’s Hawkeye. Leather dressed hero with a natural bond with nature, this character in GGRW contrasts with Charlie Looking Bear, which Jane Flick notes “has materialistic interests.”
Louie, Ray, and Al, is “a pun on Louis Riel” (Flick). They are from Manitoba, just as Louis Riel is (then Red River Settlement.) Though Louie, Ray, and Al have nowhere the same historical significance or character attributes of their namesake.
Jane Flick alludes Eli to “Elijah Harper, who blocked the Meech Lake Constitutional Accord in 1990 by being the standout vote in the Manitoba legislature. He voted against a debate that did not allow full consultation with the First Nations and that recognized only the English and the French as founding nations. King may also have drawn upon the name of Blood Elder, Pete Standing Alone, subject of a National Film Board documentary in 1982.” She forgets to mention that Eli can also refer to Elijah from the bible, who also “stands alone” against the worshipping of the Caanite God Baal.
Ching, Albert. “”Avengers: Age of Ultron” Set Photos Show New Look for Hawkeye.” – Comic Book Resources. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2014. <http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=51737>.
“Louis Riel.” Louis Riel. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2014. <http://library.usask.ca/northwest/background/riel.htm>.
King, Thomas. Green Grass, Running Water. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1993. Print.
Quinn, Daniel. Ishmael. New York: Bantam/Turner Book, 1995. Print.
“Elias.” CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Elijah. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05381b.htm>.
Hi Calvin,
Your post made me reflect on how allusion can serve both as an effective illustrative tool and as a catalyst for exploration.
Allusions trigger existing knowledge, ideas, and connections that can be used to contextualize an author’s work. This can help readers organize their thoughts more coherently while giving them additional tools to help them think about the issues raised in what they are reading.
This, however, depends on the reader being able spot the allusion while having sufficient knowledge of what is being alluded to. Given that King uses allusion so frequently, how people understand the novel and what they get out of it will vary greatly based on the extent of their knowledge about the figures and ideas you mention above. The more they know, the easier it is for them to locate the key issues raised and points made by King, and ultimately the more they can extract from the novel. In this way, by using allusion so heavily King may impose a restriction on what GGRW can impart to certain people while maximizing what it can impart to others.
On the other hand, allusion doesn’t always have to limit what less knowledgeable readers can take from the novel. Even without knowing much about what is being alluded to, allusions can encourage people to seek out more information. For example, I knew nothing about the Bursum Bill of 1921 or William R. Cody before reading the novel, but King subtly brought them to my attention, I did some research on them, and now I know more about the history of native exploitation and oppression. I think this is where it is crucial to have access to a reading guide, as it plays an important role in helping readers spot allusions that they would not be able to otherwise, which in turn leads to greater learning opportunities and a more detailed understanding of what they are reading.
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