30 Louise Erdrich (1954–)
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Frank Newton
Abstract
This chapter analyzes two of Louise Erdrich’s short stories, “Fleur” and “The Butcher’s Wife,” both published in The Red Convertible: Selected and New Stories, 1978-2008 (2009). The short stories exemplify Erdrich’s exploration of her mixed Native American and European American heritage alongside their respective oral and written traditions. They were published both as independent short stories and as chapters or parts of her novels, which highlights the cyclical nature of Erdrich’s writing.When read together, these two short stories show how Erdrich successfully explores and navigates relatable Native and non-Native American experiences within their respective “re-publications.” This chapter discusses the two short stories in- and outside of Erdrich’s broader literary works and argues that the shift in focus from Native American to European American stories within the fictional setting of her works defines Erdrich not as a mainly female Native American author, but as a distinct American storyteller who connects communities outside geographical and ethnic or racial boundaries.
Abstract
This chapter analyzes two of Louise Erdrich’s short stories, “Fleur” and “The Butcher’s Wife,” both published in The Red Convertible: Selected and New Stories, 1978-2008 (2009). The short stories exemplify Erdrich’s exploration of her mixed Native American and European American heritage alongside their respective oral and written traditions. They were published both as independent short stories and as chapters or parts of her novels, which highlights the cyclical nature of Erdrich’s writing.When read together, these two short stories show how Erdrich successfully explores and navigates relatable Native and non-Native American experiences within their respective “re-publications.” This chapter discusses the two short stories in- and outside of Erdrich’s broader literary works and argues that the shift in focus from Native American to European American stories within the fictional setting of her works defines Erdrich not as a mainly female Native American author, but as a distinct American storyteller who connects communities outside geographical and ethnic or racial boundaries.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- Editors’ Preface V
- Contents VII
- 0 Introduction: The American Short Story – Past and Present 1
-
Part I: Systematic Questions
- 1 Of Sketches, Tales, and Stories: Theoretical Reflections on the Genre of the Short Story 19
- 2 Canon Formation and the American Short Story 39
- 3 Current Approaches to the American Short Story 55
- 4 Textual Materiality, Magazine Culture, and the American Short Story 73
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Part II: Close Readings
- 5 Washington Irving (1783–1859) 103
- 6 Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804–1864) 119
- 7 Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849) 133
- 8 Herman Melville (1819–1891) 153
- 9 Mark Twain (Samuel L. Clemens, 1835–1910) 171
- 10 Charles W. Chesnutt (1858–1932) 197
- 11 Kate Chopin (1850–1904) 209
- 12 Henry James (1843–1916) 227
- 13 Jack London (1876–1916) 249
- 14 Zitkala-Ša (1876–1938) 269
- 15 Sherwood Anderson (1876–1941) 289
- 16 Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961) 305
- 17 Zora Neale Hurston (1891–1960) 319
- 18 William Faulkner (1897–1962) 343
- 19 Flannery O’Connor (1925–1964) 361
- 20 James Baldwin (1924–1987) 385
- 21 Shirley Jackson (1916–1965) 403
- 22 Bernard Malamud (1914–1986) 425
- 23 Grace Paley (1922–2007) 445
- 24 Donald Barthelme (1931–1989) 461
- 25 Tim O’Brien (1946–) 477
- 26 Raymond Carver (1938–1988) 493
- 27 Alice Walker (1944–) 513
- 28 Leslie Marmon Silko (1948–) 533
- 29 Sandra Cisneros (1954–) 555
- 30 Louise Erdrich (1954–) 573
- 31 Lydia Davis (1947–) 593
- 32 George Saunders (1958–) 613
- 33 Junot Díaz (1968–) 627
- 34 Yiyun Li (1972–) 643
- 35 N.K. Jemisin (1972–) 661
- Index of Names 683
- Index of Subjects 691
- List of Contributors 699
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- Editors’ Preface V
- Contents VII
- 0 Introduction: The American Short Story – Past and Present 1
-
Part I: Systematic Questions
- 1 Of Sketches, Tales, and Stories: Theoretical Reflections on the Genre of the Short Story 19
- 2 Canon Formation and the American Short Story 39
- 3 Current Approaches to the American Short Story 55
- 4 Textual Materiality, Magazine Culture, and the American Short Story 73
-
Part II: Close Readings
- 5 Washington Irving (1783–1859) 103
- 6 Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804–1864) 119
- 7 Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849) 133
- 8 Herman Melville (1819–1891) 153
- 9 Mark Twain (Samuel L. Clemens, 1835–1910) 171
- 10 Charles W. Chesnutt (1858–1932) 197
- 11 Kate Chopin (1850–1904) 209
- 12 Henry James (1843–1916) 227
- 13 Jack London (1876–1916) 249
- 14 Zitkala-Ša (1876–1938) 269
- 15 Sherwood Anderson (1876–1941) 289
- 16 Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961) 305
- 17 Zora Neale Hurston (1891–1960) 319
- 18 William Faulkner (1897–1962) 343
- 19 Flannery O’Connor (1925–1964) 361
- 20 James Baldwin (1924–1987) 385
- 21 Shirley Jackson (1916–1965) 403
- 22 Bernard Malamud (1914–1986) 425
- 23 Grace Paley (1922–2007) 445
- 24 Donald Barthelme (1931–1989) 461
- 25 Tim O’Brien (1946–) 477
- 26 Raymond Carver (1938–1988) 493
- 27 Alice Walker (1944–) 513
- 28 Leslie Marmon Silko (1948–) 533
- 29 Sandra Cisneros (1954–) 555
- 30 Louise Erdrich (1954–) 573
- 31 Lydia Davis (1947–) 593
- 32 George Saunders (1958–) 613
- 33 Junot Díaz (1968–) 627
- 34 Yiyun Li (1972–) 643
- 35 N.K. Jemisin (1972–) 661
- Index of Names 683
- Index of Subjects 691
- List of Contributors 699
