Green Grass Running Water Blog

Green Grass Running Water Blog
Apr. 7/11
By: Anthony Mariano
Part A:
Throughout Thomas King’s Green Grass Running Water, King makes biblical allusions in the novel. One such allusion was a reference to the Star of Bethlehem. Dr. Hovaugh and Babo were heading towards the Canadian border when they saw a light that reminded them of that famous star. There was, “a star settled on the horizon and waited…a point of light, a star in the morning sky.” (233-35). Instead of finding Christ, the star was used to help the two find the Indians. Another reference was when King blends the “Hail Mary” prayer with Native mythology, “Hail Mary/Full of grace…blessed be the fruit…Fruit says Coyote. Relax…it’s just another metaphor.” (271). This blend of Native and Christian mythology helped Coyote help get to know Thought Woman, as he seems to be only one to be able to speak to the escaped Indians.
In addition to making biblical references, King also makes many allusions to pop culture. For example, Dr. Hovaugh makes reference to Shakespeare’s Macbeth, when he is driving and figuring out where to identify the Indians. He says, “Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow.” (389). As the most famous soliloquy of the play, this quote not only helped him get closer to the Indians but also consoled him after his wife’s death. Another reference was Lone Ranger’s mention of Maxwell House while having coffee with Eli. He said, “It’s going to be a good day.” (409). It is humorous that Lone Ranger mentions this line, as it is said in the actual Maxwell House commercial while having coffee itself.
Lastly, after hearing Old Woman’s name, Nasty Bumpo suggested that she should take a better “killing” name. “How about Daniel Boone…How about Harry Truman…Hawkeye. That’s a good name. Hawkeye.” (395). These lines were funny, as Bumpo tried to be creative with names by using many famous names to create the new “killer” name for Old Woman.
Part B:
In Part 3, Eli continues to struggle to find who he really is. The fact that he keeps on trying to find an identity for himself is what I like about this character. He stands up for what he believes in, especially for blocking the dam because it neglected the Blackfoot’s land rights. He was known as. “The Englishman who wanted to be an Indian. What had Eli become? What had he wanted to be?” (285). He thinks that he would rather be dead because of the fact that “no one believed in him anymore.” (286). Although he found “each year laid more space between who he had become and who he had been,” (287) Eli should be praised for being the best he can be and his determination to find his identity proved to be key in his character development.
As Lionel’s birthday approached, he knew that in order to move on successfully, he felt that change was necessary. He described, “Life had become embarrassing…he did not want to look at what he had become- middle aged, overweight, unsuccessful… today things change.” (239-40). He went to quitting his job at Bursum’s and his goals were now to go back to school and spend more time with his family, although he never went back to university. It comes to show that Lionel, despite his age, has grown up and learned to find ways to make life easier for him. Although Lionel was questioned throughout the novel about his work ethic and his sense of motivation prior to his 40th birthday, I thought that this passage showed that Lionel matured as a character and seemed happy towards the direction he is heading towards.
Unlike Eli and Lionel, Coyote was briefly mentioned in Part 3. His character is different, as he is less intelligent than the other characters. His only bright spot was his encounter with Babo and Dr. Hovaugh. “Omens and miracles…here I am…you are one silly coyote…no wonder this world is a mess.” (238). Coyote’s character adds humor to the novel and his role is contrast, unlike Lionel and Eli, who are much smarter and mature than coyote. This passage with Coyote simply represented comic relief in the novel.