Pages 345-350

Thomas King showcases his knowledge in many ways throughout Green Grass Running Water. Each section, paragraph, sentence and word is deliberate. They cast a deeper meaning that challenges the reader’s perception of the truth while allowing them to search for clues and get excited when a reference is discovered. Perhaps Jane Flick’s article displays that excitement the best as she is able to annotate many sections of the book for the deeper meaning behind names and stories.
For this exercise, I will be looking at a section of the novel that has many biblical references. It appears that Thomas King has done a lot of research on the Bible. This is to say that it would be foolish for him to offer criticism of the religion without hard facts and knowledge of the text. There are many stories from the Bible that are familiar with those that have grown up in western society. It is important however, that when having a discussion or making a criticism that facts be presented. It is important to read the Bible even without being religious. Thomas King’s novel is much stronger for having the proper facts.

For this section I will refer to the King James Version of the Bible.
Beginning with the references, Coyote is tasked with the retelling of the story. Coyote is finding it difficult to perform that task and is coming up Biblical answers instead. The first one that is used in this passage is Coyote responds with the Old Woman falls into a “fiery furnace”. Thomas King does not pick random parts of the bible to throw into his own text, there is meaning. The fiery furnace referenced in Daniel 3:8-25 speaks about how three men refuse to bow down to their oppressor, are thrown into a fiery furnace and come out unscathed. This is a direct relation to the characters in the novel as Robinson Crusoe, Lone Ranger, Hawkeye and Ishmael are defiant to Dr. Joe Hovaugh.
The second Biblical reference is that Old Woman falls into a manger. The manger is known the first cradle after Jesus was born. The reference could then be made to later in the scene with Young Man Walking on Water which the indigenous name given to Jesus. The golden calf reference further exemplifies the christian narrative of the worship of wealth or something that is sinful which relates to the storyline of the First Woman with Ahdamn and the forbidden fruit. They were free to eat anything but the one fruit. The Pillar of Salt could be tied to that same storyline of First Woman and Ahdam. In the Bible, the Pillar of Salt story is about a family that is told to escape the dangers and not look back. The woman, scared looks back and is turned into a Pillar of Salt. The reference could also be given to Thought Woman who is impregnated in her part of the story.

The Burning Bush reference is more difficult to pinpoint but some believe that it represents the presence of god who is forever watching. The Burning Bush reference could be attributed to Changing Woman, but it also could be attributed to several other factors such as the relationship between the four elders and Dr. Joe Hovaugh as well as the role of the Rangers throughout the novel. The idea that there is always someone watching over and there to judge and stop you at any moment.

These are my thoughts on this section of the novel. I was intrigued by the Biblical references and wanted to research what each reference was about and how it could relate to the overall narrative. My thoughts could all be wrong, but I do believe that King has specifically picked these Biblical references for a reason. My last blog post discussed Coyote’s role in the novel and although my opinions were not widely held, it was interesting to get other perspectives on the role of Coyote and why these Biblical references are important to the character and the overall theme of the novel.

Works Cited
King James Version.”Old Testament”. “New Testament”. Biblegateway.com.https://www.biblegateway.com/

Emba, Christine. “You should read the Bible”.Opinion. Washington Post. March 30thhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/even-atheists-should-read-the-bible/2018/03/30/98a1133c-3444-11e8-94fa-32d48460b955_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.de5e01f81cbc

King, Thomas. “Green Grass Running Water” Harper Collins. Toronto. 1994.

Flick, Jane. “Reading Notes for Thomas King’s Green Grass, Running Water” Canadian Litterature. 1999

Patterson. Erika. “Lesson 3.3”.ENGL 470 99C Canadian Studies: Canadian Literary Genres. UBC Blogs.https://blogs.ubc.ca/engl470-99c-2018wc/unit-3/lesson-3-3/

7. Describe how King uses the cyclical paradigm of the Medicine Wheel (and a little help from Coyote) to teach us to understand, or at least to try to understand the power behind the stories we tell ourselves.

The cycle that persists throughout the novel contains clues that force the reader to question what they already know about stories. The reader must be put in an uncomfortable situation to try to understand and also sometimes chuckle.
First, as a way to introduce the cyclical paradigm of the Medicine Wheel, it must be understood why it has significance in indigenous culture and in the novel. The wheel is used as a tool for teaching and healing. The connection between healing and learning are at the utmost significance. The cycle from young to old and old to young is what keeps indigenous communities alive. Elders teach the youth through stories and living on the land. The youth will eventually take care of their elders in old age and will pass down the elders teachings to their own children and grandchildren. With the four seasons, the four elements, the four states of being and the four directions there is a commonality to the cycle that cannot be ignored when trying to decipher Thomas King’s Green Grass Running Water.
What are the stories that we tell ourselves and our children? Before diving into King’s stories, I would like to remember the stories that we have been told of creation. Many of us have grown up in a Judeo-Christian home, some of us have gone to church on Sunday and attended catholic school. The stories that we tell ourselves and our children at a young age like Wab Kinew to his son are what shape our imagination or beliefs. The stories in Green Grass Running Water are similar to what we’ve already heard, or are they?
Focusing on the four women from the novel with influences from the Coyote. When we first meet First Women, she falls from the sky. It is a similar story to the one that King told in the past. This story has it’s variations though. This first story on how the world was created is told through a humorous yet critical lense. “That would be nice, says First Woman, and all sorts of good things to eat fall out of that Tree. Apples fall out. Melons fall out. Bananas fall out. Hot dogs. Fry bread, corn, potatoes. Pizza. Extra-crispy fried chicken” (40). The story is clearly a melting of the turtle story with Adam and Eve. Ahdamn is a play on Adam who acts as an ignorant side kick to First Woman. Ahdamn also applies 21st century objects names to the first animals as a way to bridge the absurdity of the two stories. Satire is an engaging tool to capture the imagination when expectations include
The cyclical nature of the story is to begin with First Woman who is then transformed to Changing Woman. Changing Woman is faced with sexual experiences and the story of Moby-Dick.
Thought Woman is the third iteration of the cyclical paradigm. Thought Woman is faced with challenges of a world that is set up to discriminate her in a Judeo-Christian world. Old Woman becomes the fourth that paves way for First Woman in water. Old Woman graciously assists in the creation story that is set up to oppress her. The Women represent the cycle of the story. However the story is never the same, as there is never a singular truth or reality.
Coyote is yet to be included in this discussion but plays an important role. Coyote is on the outside looking at the story with an innocent and ignorant view. Unsure of the reality of what is happening in front of him. Their constant communication with the narrator contains the readers point of view. That point of view expects that the reader is not only familiar with the bible but expects the bible as THE source of creation. The coyote is so entrenched with Judeo-Christian that he is unable to sense the cyclical nature of the Old Woman falling into the hole, falling through the sky and into the water. The expectation is the “Christian rules”. Coyote offers much in the way of how we understand and question these stories. There is humour that exists within the stories on the page and how they are spoken orally, but they exist to put a mirror up to the stories we tell ourselves.

When looking at these first stories, I am honestly unsure if King is trying to use humour to highlight the differences, or use these stories as a way to bridge the understanding to a wider audience in order to make a “difference”. Why are we only able to read these stories when they are modified to be understood by a white demography. Do we as whites expect the rules to be changed for us? “I’m angry that I live in a country where, still, no one listens until a white man says it.” The article by Candy Palmater asks us why we need a white male to allow ourselves to to become engaged. In the context of this novel, do we as Canadians need satire to engage in discussion. Candy Palmater suggests that we need to face hard truths that make us feel uncomfortable.

Works Cited.

Janssens, Nolan. The Affect of a Fractured Cyclical Structure 3:5 ENGL 470 99C Canadian Studies: Canadian Literary Genres.UBC Blogs

Kinew. Wab. Between my father and son (with apologies to Ta-Nehisi Coates). Opinion. Toronto Star. July 1st 2018.

Patterson, Erika. Lesson 3:2 ENGL 470 99C Canadian Studies: Canadian Literary Genres. UBC Blogs.

Palmater, Candy. Gord Downie championed Indigenous rights. But did he make a difference?. Chatelaine. Macleans. December 4, 2017.