The Road So Far...

Introduction to Three Day Road
I am currently reading a historical fiction novel by the Canadian author Joseph Boyden. It is written in two different perspectives, each being  an Oji-Cree Canadian. The first a woman named Niska, the second a man named Xavier. The novel is based in the time of the first world war, where a lot of Canadian indigenous people were sent off to fight. In this story Xavier who is Niska's nephew has been sent to war and returned back to Canada. The story is about Niska and Xavier's three day journey home, where both characters frequently flash back to past experiences. Niska often flashes back to her memories growing up and Xavier relives his time at war. Both stories reflect the brutal truth of indigenous Canadian history. 

Mental Images 
I am a very visual learner, and so often when I read a book I create sketches to go along with how I visualize the characters. In the image below I have drawn the three main characters in the novel; Niska, Xavier and Elijah. This is my interpretation of their appearances based on their personalities and things that they do. For example, I drew Niska as a beautiful, strong middle aged woman. I got this image based on a few things. Firstly, her age I guessed at, I know she is older than Xavier but young enough to be spirited. Then I figured she was strong because she paddled a three day trip to the town where Xavier was, against the current down a river. She said "I battled with every stroke until my arms were dead things and my lower back felt broken,"(Boyden 8) From this quote I got that she was strong and independent, so I did my best to draw her this way. For Xavier I gave him a blank expression and traditional looking features. Xavier is a invert he does not talk to many people. He is also educated on the traditional ways of his people. Lastly for Elijah I made him look broad and overconfident. In the novel Elijah reminded me of a people pleaser and his image below is my interpretation of him.

Thoughts so Far

So far I have really enjoyed the novel. It is very well written and full of imagery, symbols and history.

For example, during a forest fire in the novel Xavier described the feeling of the ashes falling on him as " a burn like wasps stinging [his] scalp"(Boyden 53).  This type of imagery allows the reader to understand what Xavier is feeling by relating the feeling to something that most people could understand. The imagery Boyden uses also provided emphasis on certain things that I would otherwise not have noticed; such as the feeling of the ashes on Xavier's scalp.  An example of a symbol that Boyden used in the novel is morphine. Morphine symbolizes carelessness. This is shown through Elijah and how begins neglecting his culture and other people when he is on morphine.  Symbolism creates depth within the novel making it more interesting to read. To continue, this novel is rich in Canadian history. Personally Canadian history is very interesting to me, especially when it comes to indigenous studies. Residential schools are frequently referenced to throughout the novel, and this subject has always sparked my interest. I absolutely despise the way that indigenous children were treated in these schools. In the novel Niska is taken from her mother "for the greater good of god"(Boyden 92). In my opinion it is not in the greater good of anything to take a child from a loving mother. Overall the novel has been very interesting, I look forward to finishing the novel. 

Curiosities and Questions

Will Elijah stop taking morphine?

Does Elijah go insane?

Will Xavier ever speak up? 

Will Xavier live? 

(I hope to answer these questions in future posts)



Works Cited 

 Boyden, Joseph. Three-day Road: A Novel. Toronto: Viking Canada, 2005. Print.