Characterization in Louise Erdrich’s Indian Boarding School – The Runaways

I recently rediscovered a few older assignments from my time at HACC. One of these is an analysis I wrote about characterization for a short story in my Fall 2014 Introduction to Literature course.

I wrote this analysis as the second part of a two-part assignment studying the Carlisle Indian School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The first part involved a slideshow presentation with a partner with information about the Carlisle Indian Industrial School.

I have little to add beyond the fact that little, if anything, has been added or edited from this posting.

The Write-Up

Since the founding of the United States in the late 18th century and even the centuries before it, there has always been one certainty about the way people of differences are viewed: that anyone that is not a white male of stature is considered sub-human. Even though that belief system has largely diminished by 2014, a surprisingly large number of people still maintain this perspective. The conflicts between those of this perspective and those who opposed it initiated the Civil War in the 1860’s and an ongoing Civil Rights Movement that started in the 1950’s.

In spite of the many Caucasian proponents for equal rights and opportunities to both dark-skinned peoples and other nationalities, a common problem is an inability of white people to fully empathize with people of differing nationalities who deal with discrimination (Reid). To this end, this is where we find Louise Erdrich. Born to a French-Ojibwe mother and a German-American father (McNally), her works heavily feature Native American Indians and are widely considered to have managed to bridge this gap (Reid).

Although all of her written works emphasize this idea of empathy, of note – and the subject of this paper – is Erdrich’s poem Indian Boarding School – The Runaways. The core basis of empathizing with characters is characterization, or the act of developing a personality of/for that particular character. Here, we will look at historical context for the poem and into characterizations directly stated or implied in Indian Boarding School – The Runaways and draw conclusions about the characters.

For historical context, the history of Indian boarding schools can be traced back to the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania. Opened in 1879 by Gen. Richard H. Pratt, it was the first ever institute designed with the specific and sole intent to educate Native American Indian children. Although noble in principle, Pratt’s racist perspectives of American Indian culture – considering it necessary to “Kill the Indian to Save the Man” – along with horrific conditions due to rigid military structures, widespread deaths due to illness and interference from the United States Government and Bureau of Indian Affairs created a lasting negative legacy after the school was closed in 1918 (Landis) Although never referred to by name, Indian Boarding School – The Runaways is heavily implied to either take place at the Carlisle Indian School or at a similar institute. 

To understand the characterization used in Indian Boarding School – The Runaways, it is important to know what characterization is. The most general definition of a characterization is how an author introduces and describes a character. Characterization actually comes in two types: direct and indirect. Through direct characterization, the author/writer specifically states an aspect of a character’s personality. As implied, indirect characterization occurs when a character’s personality is described through that character’s thoughts, actions or what others say about them (Ervin).

Most of the characterization in Indian Boarding School – The Runaways is accomplished indirectly, as evidenced by the fact that nothing is outright or definitively stated by the narrative. The story is told entirely through the perspective of a narrator and therefore we only know what we know through the narrator’s thoughts and feelings. At the same time, the descriptions and phrases the narrator uses imply just as much about him or herself as about the surroundings. The descriptions largely imply an individual Indian trapped and being forced against their will to attend the titular Indian Boarding School or another home open to Indian labor.

The narrator’s emotions are emphasized and described in all three stanzas, with each reflecting a different emotion. The first stanza points to a sense of longing and reflection, with references to dreaming, remembering scars, and pointing out the land railroad tracks have since been built over. The second stanza implies a sense of bitterness and resentment to the narrator’s situation, specifically calling the guard lame (which will be explained further down) and pointing to the discomfort of both the rocking and noise of the train cars and leftover scars likely caused from repeated physical abuse. The final stanza implies a sense of despair and further resentment, describing the strenuous and specific physical work and the uncomfortable (and implied to be painful) remnants left behind of the work, described as “shameful.” The third stanza also makes reference to runaways (“All runaways wear dresses…”) (Kirszner 993), which in turn points to the mention of a sheriff waiting to return them upon their arrival. From this, we can gather that the narrator had at some point attempted to escape before the start of the poem, but was since recaptured.

The second obvious and most emphasized character in the story – beyond the narrator – is the guard (Kirszner 993). Mentioned for only a sentence in the second stanza, Erdrich uses it to say much about him through saying very little. In this case, the key word here is “lame,” which generally has two definitions. The first is being unable to walk properly due to disease or injury to the leg. The second, and more well-known, is to consider something stupid or ridiculous. The second key phrase in this description of him is the mentioning of the guard lighting a match (Kirszner 993), although it is never stated whether he is smoking or simply lighting up the car. From this single sentence we can discern that the guard is likely a gruff man who thinks little of the Indian prisoners he has been tasked to transport. The two definitions word “lame” in the sentence work twofold in describing the guard. Firstly, in regards to the first definition (unable to walk properly due to disease or injury to the leg) implies that the guard is injured or sickly. The second definition conveys two different meanings as felt by the guard and the narrator. Of the guard, it implies that he is mostly apathetic toward the Indians. Of the narrator, as mentioned before, its use implies he/she/they think lowly of him just as he does of them.

Although relatable and empathetic characters are a commonality in Louise Erdrich’s works, Indian Boarding School – The Runaways serves as a short but deep character study. In three stanzas, she establishes the narrator (and possibly protagonist) as reflective and bitter about their situation. Within a single sentence, she creates a sense of antagonism and conflict with a quick and concise description of a man we otherwise know nothing about. Mostly accomplished through indirect characterization, and through the historical context of racism and Indian boarding schools, Erdrich creates two strong characters and makes them both relatable and understandable to a reader of any descent.

Works Cited

1. Ervin II, Terry W. "Direct vs. Indirect Characterization." Fiction Factor: The Online Magazine for Fiction Writers. Fiction Factor Mag., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2014.
2. Kirszner, Laurie G. and Stephen R. Mandell, eds. Compact Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing. 8th ed. 2012. Print.
3. Landis, Barbara. “Carlisle Indian Industrial School History.” Carlisle Indian School.org. Viola White Water Foundation, n.d. Web. 2 Nov. 2014.
4. McNally, Amy Leigh and Dalal, Piyali Nath. “Louise Erdrich.” Voices from the Gaps. University of Minnesota. 27 May 1999. Web. 19 Nov. 2014.
5. Reid, Shelly E. "The Stories we Tell: Louise Erdrich's Identity Narratives." MELUS 25.3 (2000): 65-86. ProQuest. Web. 19 Nov. 2014.
6. Stewart, Michelle Pagni. ""Counting Coup" on Children's Literature about American Indians: Louise Erdrich's Historical Fiction." Children's Literature Association Quarterly 38.2 (2013): 215-35. ProQuest. Web. 19 Nov. 2014.
7. WRITER LOUISE ERDRICH DISCUSSES HER LATEST NOVEL. Washington, D.C.: National Public Radio, 1994. ProQuest. Web. 19 Nov. 2014.