Theory of most Insight...

The theory that offers the most insight is... 

In my opinion analyzing the book using the feminist theory offers the best insight. This theory helps me to appreciate the novel more because I am able to understand Niska; one of the main characters, through a deeper perspective. Niska is a very round character, she has a complex personality that can be difficult to unfold without first understanding her place as a woman in the society in which this novel is based. Niska has always disregarded the way she was supposed to act as a woman from when she was young. I discovered an article about the aboriginal beliefs of women's roles; it stated that "[t]he most important thing they were taught was to have pride in their bodies and to be proud to be a woman".(NCCAH)  From a young age Niska did not have pride in her body as a woman; "[she] hated the changes, the monthly blood, the sprouting of breasts. [She] was appalled and memorized by what [she] was becoming."(Boyden 46) Most young aboriginal woman during this time would have been proud to come into woman hood and begin their path to become a mother, Niska was different. Even a small fact such as this one has helped me to understand Niska's personality a little better, and when she started to defy the norms of women for that time.

The Author

I believe the author of this novel, Joseph Boyden tells stories of his struggles and of his family through the character Niska. Joseph's father was a war hero and died when Joseph was only eight years old. In his biography it was said that Boyden "seemed to constantly search for his father's identity through his life"(J.McKay) I found this interesting because in the novel Niska's father; a hero of the tribe, also died when Niska was very young, and throughout the novel she often referred back to memories of her father to guide her through life. In my opinion Joseph gave Niska memories of her father to compensate for the ones he doesn't have of his and for the guidance he missed out on. Joseph's uncle Erl was an Ojibwa native, and lived traditional lifestyle a lot like Niska. It would appear that Joseph gave Niska the lifestyle of his uncle because he wanted the readers to understand the struggles that come with this lifestyle, through a character that is easy to relate with. Finally I believe that Joseph made Niska a woman to show the discrimination associated with aboriginal women at the time and the struggles they would face for defying their roles. 
New Images
I want to show the new images I created for Niska and Xavier. These Images show what they were like when the novel finished.

* Niska is older
*Niska's hair is more grey

*Xavier has scars
*Xavier is skinnier and his face is sunken in.
*Xavier's hair was cut for war so it is shorter now.
*If I drew Xavier's entire body he would only have one leg.




Works Cited

 Betchart, Tyler. "Woman Power." Photobucket. Digital Image. 26 July 2016. 

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

 McKay, J. "Biography." Writer in Residence, Athabasca University.Web. 26 July 2016. 

 "NCCAH." NCCAH.  Web. 26 July 2016.

 Unknown Author. "Hamish Hamilton Canada - Authors - Joseph Boyden." Web. 26 July 2016.