Final Blog prompts

Last Question


1) What happens to all the main characters by the end of the novel? (Taylor, Turtle, Alice, Annawake, Cash, and Jax)

Finally, Cash has a guardianship of Turtle. Now, he throws away his TV and wants to get married with Alice.
Taylor has to share her motherhood with Cash. During this happening, she thought about family love, so she considers of marriage with Jax. We don’t know Jax’s decision yet, but I think that he will be willing to say “Welcome” to Taylor.
Turtle has a new last name, Stillwater, but she doesn’t need to give up her first name, Turtle. She will be stay with Taylor, but at least three month out of the year, she has to stay in Cherokee tribe and learn about their culture.
Alice’s conclusion is opening, so we don’t know whether she will live with Cash, or go back with Taylor and Jax. However, in my opinion, she will accept Cash’s propose for Turtle. For her, this happening is a good experience to find her identity.
I’m certain that Annawake is going to meet her brother, Gabe. Before then, even though she has wanted to meet him, she had considered about her elder brother and Cherokee society, and abandoned to meet her brother. Otherwise, she might try to avoid the fact of her family’s tragedy. She doesn’t want to recognize that in Cherokee society and Cherokee family, some sad stories also can happen. During this happening, Annawake has noticed about common with American and Native Americans’ life.


2) What do you think is the main theme or message of the book? Be sure to support your opinion

When I read this book, I deem cultural conflict (Individualism versus collectivism.) As protagonists, Taylor and Annawake encounter different culture. Taylor didn’t think about her cultural personalities, but she was so independent and had confidence of her life especially for Turtle. While avoiding Annawake’s requirement, she has recognized that human beings can’t live alone. Even though she does her best, Taylor can’t break her all suffering until somebody’s help. (When Taylor suffered from poverty in Seattle, I also think about the limitation of Capitalism. In fact, Individualism also related to Capitalism)

In Annawake’s case also make me recognize the definition of common group. In an indirect way, (or it might author’s purpose) Annawake suggests that Cherokee society is better than American society because her tribe has an emphatic. However, ironically, Cash’s tragedy starts from his daughter, and Gabe’s tragedy also starts from his mother. They are alcoholic, and Cherokee didn’t protect their tragedy. Rather, Taylor was confused her identity and materialism, she always thinks about Turtle except the milk events. (At first I misunderstood that Taylor partly knew the fact of milk problem- likely after drinking milk repeat, people can accept the milk, same as my case- but she didn’t know and she really believed that milk is a good meal for everybody. In my opinion, it show that Taylor really like her daughter.)

Taylor and Annawake confront different culture, and they can overcome their cultural conflict. This is the main message of the book.


3) Toward the end of the novel, we return to the Cherokee myth of the “Six pigs in Heaven”. Now Annawake’s interpretation of this myth is different from the first time she told it to Jax. What do you think her new interpretation means, and how do you think it is related to the moral or lesson of this book?

Before, Annawake told Jax the Six pigs’ myth. Lazy six boys wouldn’t work in the corn, wouldn’t fix mother’s roof, and wouldn’t join the ceremony. They didn’t have civic-minded, so their mother is treating them like pigs. Eventually, Great spirits make boys into pigs. The story emphasizes civic minded. Compared to American ideology, which usually stress to individualism, Annawake’s tribe deems each member’s civic minded and obey their parents as important values.
She always focuses on the civic-minded following her cultural norms. In fact, in this story, family seems to be part of the society for me. Actually, the characteristic of Cherokee culture also is. However, when Annawake told Alice the myth, she revises their myth. Annawake recognized that maternal love. Even though someone looks so very lazy, greedy and rude, his or her mother always hopes her babies’ achievement. Moreover, even in Cherokee society, somebody get hurt because of emphasizing their social virtues.


4) Would you recommend this book to a friend? To other students? Why or Why not?

I want to recommend this book my friends and other students, especially in English version. When I first show this book, I was startled of length. “Can I read this book only 8 weeks with other books?” I usually read some novels in one semester, but it is Korean version! Anyway, I should read the book named “Six pigs in Heaven”, and I get confidence that I can read English books. After finishing this quarter, I will try to read Harry Potter English version, which make me scared because of the thickness.

I like its message. Everybody can confront culture shock without any predict, moreover in globalized modern society, it is the natural issue. We can overcome their cultural conflict. Everybody compromise for others. Taylor has to share Turtle’s education at least 3 month each year, and Annawake abandons to firm Turtle’s cultural identity.

After reading this novel, I can think about Cherokee, Native American culture. They have collectivism, and it looks so similar to Korean or Asian culture. I had just imaged of Native American as displaced by European American, considering their tradition; however, they also have some social problem. It was interesting as I learn their culture from the novel.

I want to recommend this novel to my friends and students. I’m going to read “The Beantrees” which deal with Turtle’s past.