In a 2012 New York Times review, Maria Russo observes that The Round House “represents something of a departure for Erdrich, whose past novels of Indian life have usually relied on a rotating cast of narrators, a kind of storytelling chorus.” This novel is told almost exclusively through Joe’s perspective — except for the section narrated by Linda Wishkob, which even appeared in The New Yorker prior to the novel’s publication as “The Years of My Birth.” How is this section different from the rest of the book? Why is Linda the only other character granted the narratorial voice?
Although Joe narrated most of the book from his point of view, Linda Wishkob was given her own narrated piece, making this section different from the rest of the book. Linden Lark, the man who raped Clemence, is her biological twin brother. She explains how she was born with a birth defect, and their parents decided to give her up and only keep Linden as their own. Later on in Linda’s life, her birth mother contacted her asking for a donation of one of her kidneys, which was needed in order for Linden to survive. Because Linden grows up to become a drunk rapist, Linda has much regret in giving up her kidney to save him. By granting Linda the ability to show her hatred and death-wishes towards her own twin brother, it allows the audience to see how horrible a person he is. It also displays the irony that Linden never seemed to really want the kidney as he stated to Linda, “You don’t have to do this. You don’t have to be Jesus” (Erdrich 124). If it were not for Linda’s meant to be good dead, Linden would have been dead and Clemence would not have been raped. This irony, and the fact that this crime could have been avoided if not for her generosity, displays why Linda is the only other character granted the narratorial voice.
Perpective plays a pivotal role in shaping stories. In The Round House, the introduction of a new narrator partially into the story, Linda Wishkob shifts the mood and how the reader comprehends the plot of the story. Being the identical twin of the stories malefactor, Linda allows the reader to view the crime more facetiously. Linda is, in many ways, the opposite to her brother, Linden Lark. She had physical deformities and was, therefore, not wanted by her family, and she was raised in a Native American way of life. By understanding one half, the other half can also be understood. Linden Lark is no longer just an evil spirit, but is the tangible force behind the dark plot. Another interesting technique Erdrich employs is remaining in first-person during her perspective switch to Linda. Utilizing the most personal of perspectives simply allows for a closer dissection of the character and enforcement of believability. Finally, no other characters were granted narration rights because Linda was the domino that set all of the plot events into motion. Although Joe’s mother or father certainly had many thoughts on the events that took place, the story arc needed to be flushed out, and they would do little to help, as their minds were in a scramble after the crime.
I definitely agree. If we heard the story from Joe’s perspective, it would have been a different set of emotions and thoughts. Having Linda as a narrator also gave major emphasis to her story and to the kind of person Linden was.
I agree with Jacob–I think that by having Linda tell the story of her childhood in first person, Linden becomes both more human and more revolting/evil, as evidenced in Linda and Linden’s interaction in the hospital. Linden says, “I have an aversion to ugly people. I don’t want a piece of you inside me. I’d rather get on a list. Frankly, you’re kind of a disgusting woman. I mean, I’m sorry, but you’ve probably heard this before” (125). By telling–in detail–the way Geraldine’s attacker talked and acted, the emotional focus of the story turns from Geraldine’s despair and how that affected Joe to Joe’s new hatred of Linden.
Linda serves as a bridge between the white world and the Indian reservation. The story is filled with stories of how when these two worlds cross, there is some conflict, from lawmaking to rape prosecution to simply how grown people treat each other. Linda was raised in an Indian family and has always lived on the reservation, but is still tied by virtue of her medical sacrifice to her white family. She is an insider on the reservation who simultaniously can give the most insight into Linden Lark’s mind and story.
I oddly see a similarity between Linda and Joe, and I think that is perhaps why she was given the section to tell her story. In literary terms, I think an argument can be made that Linda acts as a “foil” for Joe. Both characters end the novel with heavy burdens. Linda attempted to right the wrong of her family abandonment by donating her kidney to Linden, ironically saving the man who turned out to be truly despicable in action, and leaving Linda subconsciously responsible. Joe attempted to right the wrong caused not only by Linden’s physical rape of his mother, but by also the lack of justice from the US government, yet in the end, he knows he will
never be able to remove the damage his attempt to murder did to his soul. Their actions were perceived to bring them peace, but ultimately brought internal turmoil. The underlying similarity between these characters is a reason I believe Erdrich included Lisa’s backstory, for through the chapter, we were able to make this connection.
I agree and, in a way, believe that Linda serves as a bridge between the Lark family and the Coutts family. Because of this connection, Linda makes Linden, as a handful have already explained, more tangible as an individual. Perhaps I am merely playing devil’s advocate, but does being aware of Linden’s past blur the lines between justice and injustice? This is NOT to say his actions are excusable or justifiable in ANY way, but to examine his murder and the motivations behind it. Perhaps being given more information on Linden, as provided by Linda’s narrative, pushes the reader to consider whether Linden’s death, a now tangible character, is true justice or not. The lines between exactly good and exactly evil are blurred. But would the reader be as inclined to consider this complexity if Linden’s identity had remained a mystery? Knowing nothing lets individuals paint their own picture, one in which a rapist can lose any resemblance to a human individual (even an evil one) and resemble the epitome of darkness and malevolence. Linda’s narrative certainly widens Linden’s identity and reconnects him to reality, a concept which contributes to the complexity of his murder for both Joe as well as the reader.
I would firstly argue that she isn’t quite the only other narrator within the book; I consider the section of Mooshum’s storytelling to be a third narrator, within it’s own right. However, I think that Linda is a lot like Joe in a few ways. Despite her being much older than Joe when it happens, she is somewhat innocent and naive when approached by her birth mother. She believes that her mother is actually trying to get to know her, when, in reality, as the storyline reveals, it is actually to save her son, Linden. She also gives life to the innocent, except where Joe indirectly does, by objectifying women throughout the story and perpetrating the type of behavior that leads to Linden’s actions, her role is much more literal. She gives her kidney to Linden, although she knows that he is not a good person and regrets it later on, reflecting that she wished she had let him die. She also has a unique perspective of her own, where she is not from the tribe but adopted into it and raised a part of it, because her birth parents did not want her and would have left her for dead. Although she is, by heritage, a part of the outside world, born into a state of privilege, she is able to see some of the horrors because she has lived in the tribe all of her life.
Linda is given the power of narration in order to complement Joe and round out our perspective of the story. First of all, she defies the stereotypical “white” archetype by being genuine and understanding. Even though she is from a white family, she was raised as a Native American and thus relates to them. Secondly, her willingness to donate her kidney emphasizes the value of familial ties no matter what. Despite the fact that she did not like Linden, she was still humble enough to give up her kidney unbeknowingly to the man that would rape both Mayla and Geraldine. Her value of familial ties is also seen between Joe and his mother, as he is willing to kill Linden for her. Thus Erdrich uses Linda’s narration to further emphasize how loyalty can lead us to do morally questionable things. Also, Linda, too, is filled with guilt for what her blood brother has done and that she enabled him to do so. In the same manner, Joe carries the burden of guilt for killing Linden. Despite the fact that Linda enabled Linden, her narration calls upon the sympathy of the reader. Without it, one would not understand her background nor motives.
The novel is mostly told through Joe, which is powerful and unique for a story about sexual assault. Linda’s perspective is described in order for her to personally explain her side of the story. Geraldine’s, Bazil’s and various other viewpoints are not detailed; Erdrich wrote the novel in this manner to provoke strong emotions from the reader, however, Linda’s story is told to Joe instead of by him. She also has an interesting perspective, as she is a white woman who was raised as Indian. Linda wanted to prove and validate her reasons for visiting Linden in the hospital and saving his life. She explains how she regrets her actions, as Linden has become violent. Linda’s narration shows the reader her feelings towards the situation without limitations from Joe. Her story is inspiring, as she describes firsthand how she had to overcome adversity from her birth family and her adoptive siblings. Linda’s perspective shows how she tried to see the best in Linden when saving him, despite the tragedies that followed. Linda also grew from her mistakes; she regrets her decision and visits Geraldine often. Linda’s narration describes redemption in her character and explains her actions and emotions through her own words.
The story is primarily told through Joe’s perspective because it’s Joe’s story. The narrative is all about Joe. Whether he’s discussing his love of Star Trek TNG, Sonja’s body, or biking around the dirt covered playground of the reservation, the perspective is entirely that of a teenage boy. In fact, because his perspective is limited, it seems more genuine and captivating. After only a few chapters, Joe becomes easy to read. The reader knows what he’s going to do before even he does. This all changes when Linda gets handed the reins. Linda’s story isn’t a playful childhood adventure, instead, it is tempered by the complete knowledge attained in a long and tragic life. She sarcastically describes her near death immediately following her birth. “The doctor addressed my mother…asking if he should use extraordinary means to salvage [me].” (115) Then, as Linda’s mother says “no, let it die” the nurse saves the baby behind their backs. So Linda, unlike Joe with his loving family, came into the world unwarranted and unwanted. In some ways, Linda and Joe have a similar story. They both feel the immediate effects of tragedy. However, the main difference between the two is Linda has experience in the field. To an observer, Linda might seem like she is just waiting to die. Every time she tries to do a good deed, it backfires. This is why Erdrich includes her story. In reality, Linda is the reason for Joe’s action. He kills Linden to absolve Linda. She saved her twin, a charitable act, though it eventually leads to terrible consequences. She knows what her act did, and when she says “I would do anything in the world for your family” (299) she means it. Even if that means being an accomplice to her own twin’s murder. The book contains arcs for both characters. Joe takes action outside of the law, while Linda helps him kill her twin. Thus Linda’s story is significant because it shows her life as a whole so that the reader can understand how hard it was to come to terms with the truth: that Linden Lark must see justice.
Linda’s narrative also serves the book by marking a growth in Joe’s understanding. Although Joe’s story isn’t really what I’d describe as a “childhood adventure,” it is characterized by a certain youthful conviction. When Joe is exposed to Linda’s story, “tempered by the complete knowledge attained in a long and tragic life,” he loses some of that conviction. Linda represents the details beyond appearances, and when Joe “went past pop eyes and sinister porcupine hands and wispy hair and just saw Linda,” (115) he came closer to seeing the world as it truly was.
I think including a section in Linda Lark’s perspective allows the reader to understand Linden Lark’s behaviors, without putting Erdrich in a position of having to defend Linden or get into why he felt the need to rape Geraldine. The book does not focus as much on the two main parties involved in the rape as it does on the way it effected their families. By including Linda’s perspective, we are given insight as to how Linda would deal with her twin brother committing such a terrible act. He was such a terrible person, as she stated later in the book, she wished she hadn’t saved his life by giving him one of her kidneys. This realization acts to show the extent sexual violence can affect everyone, not just the two parties involved.
At the same time however, the shift to Linda’s perspective offers a break from the thoughts and feelings of Joe, as 13-year-old boy. While he may be under the impression that he knows what happened and has the solution, to make Linden spend the rest of his life in prison, the reality of the situation would not allow that to happen. By removing the reader from Joe’s head, even for only 11 pages, Erdrich forces the reader to acknowledge the hardships suffered by others in the book, and shows how other people dealt with their grief.
Linda’s section is not the only one in the book where readers are taken from Joe’s perspective to another. The stories the Mooshum told also transported the reader to another time in someone else’s mind. His stories purposes however were to give historical background and perspective to Joe’s current situation, rather than to give specific insights into the rape that occurred.
Linda is given a chance to narrate because her story illustrates the concept of “moral freedom.”(Erdrich 253) Her story contrasts Linda and Linden’s moralities. Despite being twins, Linda became a kind person while Linden became “a skin of evil.”(Erdrich 241) She grew up with a loving family compared to Linden who grew parents who were likely less than kind. When Linda was born, they simply said, “let it die”(Erdrich 115) and when she survived they refused to take her. Linden grew up with people capable of these cruel acts and was likely heavily influenced by them. Their differing childhoods as revealed by Linda’s narration show how in spite of them sharing the same parents their childhoods may had lead them to make differing moral choices.
Linda’s story shows how each human has the freedom to be kind or cruel. Linda’s decision to give Linden her kidney despite knowing of his evil and being personally insulted and berated by him shows the extent of her kindness and generosity. For an adult woman, Linda is naive and trusting. She holds out hope that people can be kind like herself. This heightens the impact of Linda wishing she hadn’t given Linden a kidney and saved his life because it shows the extent of his cruelty in contrast with Linda’s kindness.
Additionally, her childlike naivety makes her similar to Joe at the beginning of the story but as he becomes jaded through experiencing the tragedies of the adult world they start to differ. Her narrative section provides a contrast to Joe’s narration to highlight his changes. Linda’s narration shows how humans have the choice to be good or evil as her and her twin take different paths as well as providing a foil to Joe’s increasing awareness of human’s capability for evil.
The section that is narrated by Linda is different than the other sections, because it serves as a link between the family and the attacker, in addition to providing a glimpse into the world that Linden lives in. In none of the other sections do we really get much information regarding where Linden comes from or what his personally is truly like. I think this section was included in part to show a certain human element to a character that is other wise viewed as something less than human. It shows that he not only has a mother who cares about him, but also that he is going through a major health struggle which Linda later helps him with. We also get a glimpse at the real dark side he has when he berates Linda for her looks, providing us a look into the true character of the story’s main antagonist. This is an important section to the theme of the power of family. This theme is shown more outwardly when Joe is compelled by his love for his mother to kill Linden, but it also shown in the compassion that Linda shows toward Linden. She had not had any contact with her brother, who she knew would most likely waste the kidney, yet she gave him the kidney. This shows a tremendous amount of compassion on Linda’s part and illustrates the lengths that people will go to for when it comes to family.
I agree with Jeffrey to an extent. One of my favorite aspects of The Round House is how well-developed the characters are. They’re multi-dimensional with unique backstories and personalities. Before Linda described Linden, however, Erdrich’s illustration of him was cursory. The reader didn’t know exactly who Linden was, other than the fact that he committed a terrible crime. But by allowing Linda to narrate her negative experience with her own twin brother, Erdrich transformed Linden from a one-dimensional villain into a rounded character who is truly twisted and evil. However, I disagree with Jeffrey’s statement that Linda’s viewpoint was included “to show a certain human element to a character that is other wise [sic] viewed as something less than human.” Linda’s perspective was included to flush Linden out, but not to humanize him; in fact, I think the opposite is true. Linda’s first-hand account of how malicious Linden is sets the reader even more firmly against him, which manipulates us into feeling that Joe was right to kill him even though shooting Linden was vigilante justice.
If Erdrich had chosen to tell The Round House from multiple points of view, the story would have been too difficult to follow. The book tackles so many issues that more than one primary narrator would have distracted from the plot. Furthermore, none of the other characters would have added much to the primary focus of the story because while The Round House is, on the surface, a story about a woman’s rape, it is more so a personal reflection of the struggles a boy faced and the growth he made during a life-changing summer.
Although Erdrich writes from the perspective of the victim’s son, this choice does not limit her ability to treat the subjects of justice and sexual violence in a sensitive and unique way. The attention Erdrich gives to the reactions of Geraldine’s family and community members, as understood by Joe, strengthens her message as she reveals how an act of sexual violence impacts an individual’s family in completely different but almost equally significant ways from the victim. Beginning with the scene just after the attack where Bazil tries to touch Geraldine as he normally would and accidentally triggers her so that she drops her dish and soon begins to slowly slip away from her family, Erdrich shows Joe’s family being torn apart slowly and terrifyingly. As a young boy, Joe is so afraid of this happening and his fear drives him to investigate the crime since he believes that his mother may never receive justice from the official law. This driving fear gives his perspective enough power to be convincing. If Erdrich had chosen to narrate from Geraldine’s perspective of the victim, she might not have been able to fully portray a cry for justice. Instead, she could have gotten paralyzed by Geraldine’s fear so thoroughly that the theme of justice would take second priority to recovery; her novel would tell an equally important story, but a completely different one focused more on the attack than its results.
Erdrich needs a male, especially a young one, to make her new take compelling. Many factors go into a young man’s mindset such as duty to family, the concept of manhood, and identity. Erdrich plays off of all of these things to fully illustrate her point in order to imbue it with the uniqueness and purpose that makes Joe so compelling and convinces the reader to care about this injustice. So Joe’s youth and cultural background encourage him to stand up for his unique family in a way that explains the murder he later commits. For example, Erdrich arms Joe with Moosham’s story about Nanapush, which shows a young son standing up for his mother and taking responsibility into his own hands to help her. This story inspires in Joe a sense of similar responsibility due to his heritage and community. Joe commits an ultimate sacrifice when he shoots Linden, but convinces the reader that this justice needs to occur. His position of strength as an avenging son with a somewhat outside/limited perspective (as he is not the immediate victim) makes this argument convincing and refreshing enough to grab attention in a way it might not have been if Erdrich had placed such thoughts in Geraldine’s head. As her son who did not experience the attack but does experience its pain, Joe is just as affected, albeit in different ways, as his mother. His next actions, then, are thoroughly justified in the eyes of the story. Of course, by narrating as Joe, Erdrich loses an important aspect of the discussion about sexual violence -the stages of recovery within a victim- but she sacrifices this perspective to create her hard-hitting message about the flawed and confusing justice system between Native American and Federal law.
Linda is a look into the “other side” of the crime, in a way. Linda is a perfect narrator to quickly allow us an understanding of how the rape came to occur. Her in-depth look at her family, particularly Linden, is in part an explanation for the event – but by NO MEANS an excuse. Linda’s telling of events isn’t included as a warning or call for prevention, either. In a way, it is meant to lower our sense of security – hindsight is 20/20, but foresight isn’t. The maturation that Linda went through occurs in all people at different points in their life; the compression of Linda’s entire life story into a few pages is meant to foreshadow how, one day, Joe’s entire experience will be compressed as well, no longer the only event in his life, but still a highly important one, not forgotten.