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American Horse by Louise Erdrich -- Themes

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  ·         Oedipal complex ·         Sexuality ·         Quilts - family tradition and history ·         Picture of Jesus in their house - Christianity has left its mark on the Natives ·         Butterfly of memory and of belt seem to merge ·         Beautiful knowledge of another person, fatal and final, though enemies ·         Vicki sweats a lot - signifies what she's doing is wrong?

American Horse by Louise Erdrich - Summary

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Buddy and his half brother and his mother Albertine American Horse are in the woodshed, hiding from the cops. One of them is Officer Harmony, a tribal policeman who is tough on Native Americans. Buddy knows something horrible is coming, something metal from the sky with barbs and hooks, to kill them. He enjoys watching his mother sleep. His mother regrets her experiences with men but not Buddy. She hates men. Two policemen and a social worker Vicky Koob come. Buddy hugs his mother close and relishes the contact despite the fear. The brown dog barks at them viciously so one of the policemen draws his gun on him and it retreats. Uncle Lawrence, in strange garb, opens the door. Harmony tells him they have papers that allow them to take Buddy. The other officer, Brackett, warns Lawrence that they'll take him too if he doesn't cooperate. They handcuff him and start searching the house and shed. Koob is eager to find Buddy "to salvage him". She catalogues all of the...