The consideration of religious topic through a system of characters in the novel “The round house” by Karen Louise Erdrich

Abstract

The novel “The Round House” by Karen Louise Erdrich relates about the events in the life of the Coutts family, Native Americans living on the territory of a reservation. The main plot is connected with a serious crime, the victim of which is the mother of Joe Coutts, but in the course of the narrative the writer describes many features of the culture and history of Ojibwe tribe. Religion belongs to the most important aspects of Indian life she focuses on. The difference in the religious views of individual members of the tribe is accounted for by the history of their ancestors’ residence on the continent and their interaction with whites. Louise Erdrich not only states the coexistence of traditional Indian beliefs and the Catholic faith within the tribe (for which she concentrates on the relevant characters who are adherents of a particular religious practice), but also traces the origins of this state of affairs. At the same time the writer does not portray Catholicism and the religious beliefs of the indigenous population as opposing ideas about the world. She tries to reconcile these two religions and argues that people do not necessarily have to choose one thing in an attempt to satisfy their spiritual needs; instead, they combine religious practices.