44 pages • 1 hour read
Louise ErdrichA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Omakayas is the central protagonist in The Game of Silence. She is a child of the Ojibwe tribe and has rare spiritual talents. Omakayas has vivid dreams that turn out to be premonitions, and she is also deeply knowledgeable about the various plants and roots that are used in Ojibwe medicine. Erdrich’s use of the third-person limited perspective focuses on Omakayas’s inner thoughts and burgeoning wisdom. When Omakayas is first introduced, she is characterized as liking “to arrange things in her mind” (ix) and to study her surroundings deeply. This introductory characterization emphasizes Omakayas’s contemplative nature, her capacity for intense focus, and her love for other people and animals.
Omakayas is very connected to her family. At her age, she wants to be accepted and respected by her elders. She cares about what elders like Old Tallow think of her, and this internal concern reflects the influence of the Ojibwe people’s communal culture. Omakayas begins her journey of self-discovery through her relationships with the adults in her family. Her grandmother in particular is an important influence, and Omakayas knows that “there [is] a special love between them. The love between Nokomis and Omakayas had to do with the things that Nokomis was teaching her every day about her plants and roots and medicines” (99).
By Louise Erdrich
Antelope Woman
Louise Erdrich
Fleur
Louise Erdrich
Future Home of the Living God
Louise Erdrich
LaRose
Louise Erdrich
Love Medicine
Louise Erdrich
Shadow Tag
Louise Erdrich
The Beet Queen
Louise Erdrich
The Bingo Palace
Louise Erdrich
The Birchbark House
Louise Erdrich
The Leap
Louise Erdrich
The Master Butchers Singing Club
Louise Erdrich
The Night Watchman
Louise Erdrich
The Painted Drum
Louise Erdrich
The Plague Of Doves
Louise Erdrich
The Red Convertible
Louise Erdrich
The Round House
Louise Erdrich
The Sentence
Louise Erdrich
The Shawl
Louise Erdrich
Tracks
Louise Erdrich