LaDuke''s Last Standing Woman: A Critical Study

• Main Authors: Jia-Sian Liu, 劉佳嫻
• Other Authors: 董崇選
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2010
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/17591907162492188783

碩士 === 國立中興大學 === 外國語文學系所 === 98 === This thesis is a critical study of LaDuke’s Last Standing Woman. It aims to illuminate how the Native American writer, Winona LaDuke, redefines their Indian identity and cultural survival through the novel and shifts the readers’ attention from a monologic, authoritative form to a more dialogic, cross-cultural perspective. In the first introductory chapter, a brief sketch of LaDuke’s life is made and a general account of the novel is provided. The focus of the second chapter is on the genre of the work. It discusses the novel as constructed in a unique way, blending several genres modeled on the richly layered world of oral tradition and storytelling. The third chapter is concerned with the story and storytelling in the novel, introducing the heroines and heroes, surveying the significant incidents and anecdotes, and discussing the meaning of the setting. The fourth chapter is focused on the themes of the novel. It covers such themes as cultural restoration, environmental protection, and the ideas of time and cycles, showing that the novel provides a multidimensional exploration of conflicting cultures and world views. The fifth chapter is devoted to the narrative method and the symbol of the novel. It emphasizes the feature of segmentation and the significance found in the name of Ishkwegaabawiikwe (Last Standing Woman). The thesis concludes with the idea that LaDuke’s employment of the tribal oral tradition helps achieve temporal unification of the past and the future with the present, demonstrating the Indian people’s cultural uniqueness and typical identity.