Three Day Road – Joseph Boyden
Below are all the chapters in the novel. Please use the space given to make notes on
characters, events, themes/symbols, and anything of significance from that chapter. You
will use these notes to study for your exam following the novel, as well as to help you write
your critical literary essay. Notes are worth 5 marks per chapter.
Eagle Feather – pg 1, 2
We meet Xavier and his cousin, Elijah.
Xavier is the narrator of the story.
They are trapping in the bush, and have caught a marten.
The marten isn’t dead, so Elijah has to finish it off. He hesitates at first but then does it, beating it to
death with a stick.
Xavier comments on their friendship and their ability to hunt. This shows the beginning of Elijah’s taking
pride in killing.
Ekiiwanawahk (Returning) – pg 3-9
Xavier’s aunt, Niska, has come down from the bush of Northern Ontario to the settlement of Moose
Factory.
Niska believes her last family member, Xavier, has died in World War I because of a letter she received.
She is there to pick up his friend, and closest thing to family she has, Elijah.
As it turns out, it is Xavier who survived, not Elijah.
Xavier is missing a leg and has a heavy morphine addiction.
Niska is going to take Xavier back to the bush with her. She realises that Xavier has come home to die.
Takoshininaaniwan (Arrival) – pg 10-24
Xavier states that he is addicted to morphine, and that Elijah is missing.
Xavier will narrate the story of the war through flash backs while he is travelling back into the bush with
Niska.
We meet characters who fought with Elijah and Xavier:
Sergeant McCaan – Xavier likes it when he stares. Seems to have the men’s best interests at heart.
Fat – a large man, slows down the infantry, whimpers often
Sean Patrick – a handsome man, loves to talk.
Grey Eyes – not liked by Xavier and is a liar.
Lieutenant “Bastard” Breech – Seems to know less about war than McCaan. Is not liked by the
company.
On a recon mission they come across some Belgians who are on their side. Elijah and Xavier learn of
some soldiers well respected because of their many kills.
Monahikewina (Trenches) – pg 25-33
Grey Eyes morphine addiction is obvious
Elijah as become withdrawn and focused and serious now that he is at the front lines.
We meet Corporal Thompson, not much bigger than a big child, but has an old face. His age is a
mystery.
Thompson teaches the boys about the different sounds enemy firepower makes.
McCaan gets a black eye from a close call with his periscope.
These first months of fighting are at Saint-Eloi.
Upon leaving the trench for a short time, Xavier exposes himself for a prolonged period being captivated
by how the bombs light up the sky. Xavier gets shot at, and a clump of dirt badly bruises his hand
teaching him a lesson about taking cover.
Noohtaawiy (My Father) – pg 34-49
Niska watches Xavier suffer in his sleep from nightmares and fading effects of morphine.
Niska was avoided by other children as a child because of her convulsions.
She believe her convulsions give her the power to see parts of the future.
She often uses the word “wemistikoshiw” to refer to White people.
She recalls a time in her youth, where her tribe couldn’t find any food. They ended up killing a bear
which upset a number of people, b/c they considered the bear their brother.
Niska was impressed with the amount of time her father spent butchering the bear so as to make sure
nothing went to waste. This was a way to honour the bear.
Micah, a young hunter who Niska thought was handsome, gives his daughter some of the bear calling it
“her first taste of meat”. Her next taste will be her father’s flesh!
The baby girl spits out the piece of meat and it is ignored.
The famine continues, Micah takes his family out to fend for themselves.
Micah freezes to death trying to catch a fish. Micah’s wife eats him and feeds some to the baby, making
them both windigo.
When Micah’s wife and baby return to camp, the rest realize what has happened. Niska’s father is a
windigo killer. He kills both.
Later we hear that the RNWMP want to talk to the father to see what happened. He laughs it off
believing it is none of their business.
War touches everyone and windigos spring from the earth.
Pasitew (Fire) – pg 50-61
Xavier and Elijah are canoeing into Moose Factory to sign up for the War. On their way, they make
camp.
They are awoken at camp by a forest fire. They quickly move to the river, turn their canoe over, put wet
blankets on the hull.
Elijah is fascinated by the fire, but Xavier wants to escape it. This sense of danger that Elijah enjoys
makes Xavier uneasy.
They come across a moose who burned in the fire, and eat the portions that are good.
Elijah teaches Xavier to tell the recruiters, “I am a Cree Indian from Moose Factory, and I have come to
kill Germans.”
Xavier and Elijah hope they are not separated when they go to war.
Ntawi Nipahiwewak (Raiding Party) – pg 62-75
There is a trench raid by the Huns against the boys’ company.
Gerald, a young lookout, fell asleep on the job, enabling the Huns to infiltrate successfully. He is
executed for sleeping on the job.
The company is issued gas masks b/c the Germans have created a bomb that dumps poisonous gas.
Elijah becomes fascinated with Grey Eyes’ use of morphine.
The company blackens their faces and goes on a mission into no man’s land. They recover a Canadian
soldier who is injured in a crater; he had gone on this same mission the day before.
Elijah, Thompson, Graves, and Xavier come across a listening post that was once utilized by the
Germans.
When the Germans return, the men all throw grenades into this pit and Thompson finishes them off
with a machine gun.
Although Xavier didn’t see the men die, he knows he’s now killed a man.
Kiskinohanaasowin (Learning) – pg 76-88
Xavier makes his first comments to Niska about all the death he saw overseas.
Xavier shows how Elijah can be a problematic character:
He is a little too good with words, charming everyone
He lies, or stretches the truth
He brags about killing
He is fascinated with morphine
He made Xavier embarrass himself in front of Breech, but telling him the wrong things to say in
English, when he wanted to sleep outside.
Sean Patrick is becoming an excellent shot.
Gilberto, a married Italian man in their company, does not like to do dangerous work in war.
Thompson teaches Elijah and Xavier the art of the sniper.
Xavier scouts, Elijah shoots
They are very good at it because of their hunting.
Elijah snipes his first kill.
Kipwahakan (Captive) – pg 89-95
Niska picks up her story after her father’s death.
Her tribe came to Moose Factory to agree to sign treaties so that they wouldn’t starve to death and gain
provisions.
Niska’s sister, Rabbit, went to residential school where she became “Anne”.
Later, Niska, was sent there as well.
Niska fought with the nuns. After they cut her hair, she shaved her head to prove a point.
They put her in a locked room in the basement. Her mother broke the window there and helped her
escape.
Kakwapaskinaatowin (Competition) – pg 96-109
Elijah’s reputation as a killer begins spreading around the camp. He likes all the attention.
Xavier seems jealous, as he considers himself the better shot, b/c he taught Elijah.
Elijah kills a fellow soldier, who was going to die from his injuries, so he wouldn’t suffer by placing his
hand over his nose and mouth.
Killing no longer seems to affect Elijah like it once did with the marten.
Reflecting on Elijah’s new found fame, Xavier recalls that he is actually the better shot.
He tells of a time in training camp where all the soldiers lined up for target practice.
In the end, Elijah, Xavier, and a Highlander were the three best shots.
Xavier won the final contest by lighting a match stuck in the ground with his bullet at twenty paces
away.
He also recalls a time Elijah ruined his chance at a fox b/c he was too loud in the bush. Elijah practiced
walking around the tent all night making sure not to wake Xavier. Elijah seems willing to do anything to
become good at something.
Xavier gets the nickname “X” after lighting the match – X marks the spot – he also feels that no one will
be able to call him a useless Indian ever again.
Onahaashiwew (Sniper) – pg 110-118
Sean Patrick is shot through the neck by a sniper; he dies.
Xavier believes Grey Eyes is to blame for opening the slot so slowly, due to him being on morphine.
Xavier and Elijah recall a time they herded caribou using fire into a narrowing and Elijah was able to kill
12 of them. – Connection to being able to outthink and think like your prey.
Elijah figures out the system the Germans are using to fire on them. Elijah waits until first light when
they lift their plates to shoot. Elijah kills his, but Xavier likely misses.
Elijah is confident, Xavier second guesses himself – both these traits have their strengths and
weaknesses.
Naatamaasowin (Revenge) – pg 119-129
Elijah is very popular because of his last kill of a sniper.
The two boys get to take a rest back at base.
There, Elijah, is holed up in a dark tent with Grey Eyes, making Xavier worry about him being influenced.
Xavier realizes the great Hun sniper killed Sean Patrick from below, meaning he was killing from no
man’s land, he shares this information with Elijah.
The boys get permission from McCaan to try to kill the great Hun sniper.
While scouting for him, Elijah tells Xavier he tried morphine on the boat ride overseas. He was very sea
sick, and Grey Eyes gave him some. He believes it gives you the power to leave your body and float over
everyone to see things from above.
Xavier tells him never to do it again.
On no man’s land is a dead bloated horse. Elijah decides to shoot its belly as target practise.
This results in the sniper fire back on their location, getting dirt in Elijah’s eye, temporarily blinding him.
Xavier is able to kill the sniper before he reloads.
The sniper had been hiding among the dead roughly 15 feet away from the horse.
Shakocihew (Seducing) – pg 130-135
Niska tells a story to Xavier of how she was attracted to a white trapper who was living up in the bush
near her.
At first, she was confused, feeling she wanted to keep him as a pet, not recognizing her own feelings of
lust.
Niska was wondering how to set a trap for him, then decides she should be the bait.
Niska sets up a tent, the man enters, and they sleep together. He speaks French, she Cree, so they can’t
communicate.
When she wakes, he is gone.
When describing her period in an earlier chapter, Niska believes her womanhood came to her as a sick
animal. Again here, we see Niska defying traditional woman behaviour.
Moosasiniwi Paskisikan (Rifle) – pg 136-146
Thompson, Elijah, and Xavier form a scouting party which will go into no man’s land to search the
sniper’s dead body.
Elijah amuses people by talking in a British accent. He tells Xavier he has forgotten how to speak in his
own voice – losing traditions/customs
Xavier takes from the sniper his Mauser rifle and the his stripes off his uniform
The rifle is of excellent quality, and Elijah covets it.
Xavier recalls the time they were coming to register for War. They sold their canoe in Moose Factory
and bought train tickets and two snazzy outfits.
Breech selects Elijah, Xavier, Thompson, Grey Eyes, Gilberto, and a new guy for a raiding party. Xavier
feels that this will be too many men.
Elijah is afraid, and tries to secure some morphine from a medic. He says he isn’t feeling well and that’s
why he needs it, but really it is because he is afraid. This is supposed to be the first time he’ll have taken
it since the trip over on the ship.
Kimociwinikewin (Raid) – pg 147-163
Elijah and Xavier are to set off explosives during the raid on the German line.
Elijah, wanting morphine, starts the raid prematurely. There is an explosion, and Xavier fears he is hurt.
Xavier runs out and covers Elijah’s body, while continuing to lob explosives into the German nest.
Elijah is injured, Xavier drags him back to the trench. Elijah is given morphine.
Thompson was shot during the raid and is close to death. The new member was blown up by a mortar.
McCaan feels he is to blame, although it was Breech’s fault for giving the order.
Xavier says that he barely remembers his mother, Rabbit. She had given him up to the nuns when he
was very young. At residential school he met Elijah.
What did residential school do to Rabbit? She had come from a strong family.
Xavier recalls when, at residential school, Elijah taught him how to spell “God” and “Shit”. Elijah saw
that there was magic in those words. When the nun caught them spelling a profanity, she took them
out and beat them with a switch until they lay crying on the ground. Xavier was never given pencil or
paper again while he stayed there.
Xavier notices how badly Elijah wants to try the morphine again.
Elijah Whiskeyjack’s Cree last name is Weesageechak, which means trickster, the one who takes
different forms at will – does Elijah do this?
The soldiers get some time off in a small town beyond the trench line. There is a pub (in French,
estaminet) there where they get drunk. Some prostitutes occupy the back rooms, where men wait in
long lines to sleep with them.
There, Xavier sees a girl who is not like the prostitutes. Elijah goes up to talk to her. Elijah tells X that
she is the owner’s daughter.
Xavier thinks she is shy like he is, he likes her; when they return to the trench lines, and he can’t stop
thinking about her.
Xavier returns to the estaminet, he doesn’t see the girl anywhere so he gets hammered off of wine.
When she does arrive she gets X to follow her outside. She tells him she likes him and they make out.
She asks him to meet her there the following day. Her name is Lisette.
X returns the next day, meets up with Lisette and they sleep together next to a pond.
X remembers that on the train ride to Toronto, he was forced to sit in the back b/c he is an Indian.
Elijah pretend to be a bird on the train as it moves. When it jolts he is sent into a bench waking an older
man. He says “Whiskeyjacks should fly better”. Elijah wonders how he knew his name, the old man says
he doesn’t, but he was dreaming of whiskeyjacks pecking at something dead. X believes this is a sign.
Mamishihiwewin (Betrayal) – pg 164-176
Niska reveals that she had continued her physical relationship with the French trapper. In the autumn,
when he left to hunt moose, she returned further north to prepare for winter.
Niska had trouble getting the animals to come to her like she once did. She wonders if this is because
she’s lost some of her childhood, no longer seeing beyond, or choosing a White person for a mate.
Their relationship continued over the winter, but as spring came, the Frenchman became more distant.
A respected hunter and trapper came to Niska that winter while the Frenchman was with her. He told
her his clan was having difficulty finding meat. He wanted Niska to divine for them.
Niska had to tell the Frenchman to leave so she could do this. It seemed to upset him.
Niska, on advice from her mother, goes to Moose Factory to look for the Frenchman as he hadn’t
returned since the divining incident.
She is amazed by how full the “homeguard Indians” look. She recognizes a definite split between the
Cree living traditionally and those living in town.
In town, an old kokum meets with Niska. She warns that if Niska stays, she could be in trouble like her
father was. She warns that many Indians in town are Christian Indians and do not like the bush Indians.
She also tells her that the Frenchman has many unclaimed children in town.
Kokum finishes by telling Niska she is a windigo killer, and happiness is not hers to have.
The kokum gave Niska White people clothes so that she could walk around Moose Factory and not be a
target.
Niska meets the Frenchman in the pub, they have some drinks. When Niska is feeling drunk she gets up
to leave.
The Frenchman meets her outside and takes her into a church where he sleeps with her. Afterwards he
brags to her saying b/c they did it in a church he has taken her spirit. He calls her “just another squaw
whore”.
Niska ran back to the river, flung her clothes off, ran to her canoe and paddled all the way home vowing
never to return.
Worried that she had lost all her power, she set up her tent, heated stones, and poured water over
them until she gathered the spirits of all the animals.
Niska knew she still had her power.
Later her mother comes to visit her and told her that the Frenchman had gone mad, and committed
suicide by jumping off the roof of the hotel.
Mistatimwak (Horses) – pg 177-191
Elijah is made acting Corporal until Thompson returns.
The battalion is sent to a town in France named Albert.
In Albert there is a 30 ft statue of The Virgin Mary, which seems like it should fall at any minute.
The soldiers believe that they will have success while she still stands.
Elijah believes her crown would make an excellent sniping position – this gets him thinking about finding
a sniping position where they could shoot at any Hun.
They find that position in No Man’s Land near an abandoned farmhouse.
They get to the ideal spot and as they wait for day to come, Xavier tells Elijah the story of the horses on
the ship ride over.
Two horses have broken their legs in the hull of the ship. Elijah goes to get help from the officers.
When they return, they find that Xavier has slit their throats.
The officers debate on what should be done to Xavier.
Breech and a few others feel he should be charged, while other officers suggest he should be
commended for his valour for exhibiting traits of an officer.
The horses are thrown overboard and sink into the cold, dark ocean.
Omawahtonikew (Collector) pg 192-200
The Canadians raid the German trenches. It seems to go well, until the Germans start annihilating them
with their machine guns.
Elijah and X snipe the soldiers firing the machine guns as well as several others. X estimates they must
have killed dozens of men.
X’s hearing is going.
When they return, Breech refuses to believe how many men they killed. This irritates Elijah.
Elijah is getting constipated from the morphine. The medicine is no longer healing, it is now hurting.
Elijah volunteers to bury corpses from their side. Elijah tells X that before he buries them, he opens
their eyes and stares into them. He likes that he is the last thing they will see before they are buried.
Pahkonikewin (Skinning) – pg 201-212
The group of soldiers are on a break during Christmas.
Grey Eyes steals a Christmas goose from some officers and the boys share it.
Meeting another group of Canadian soldiers, Elijah learns from them about Peggy, another Indian
soldier. Peggy has a reputation for being an excellent hunter who works without a spotter.
Elijah gets jealous of the idea of someone being better than him.
These men also tell him that Peggy doesn’t always get recognition for his kills. They suggest collect
scalps as proof.
Elijah is now doing morphine in front of X without trying to hide it.
Elijah goes on a raiding party, but X stays back b/c he has a bad feeling about it.
Elijah returns describing the event, falling through a roof, killing 2 soldiers before almost being shot by a
German. The German’s gun jams, and Elijah is able to kill him.
Elijah takes these German’s scalps.
Elijah tells X how much better he feels after he’s taken morphine. He feels like an osprey and can see
from above.
Kimotowin (Stealing) – pg 213-220
On the present day canoe ride, X is refusing to eat. Niska resolves that she will force him to eat broth
soon if he keeps refusing.
Niska picks up her story several years after the Frenchman incident. Her mother is now dead.
Niska is alone in the bush and having many seizures.
She tells us her sister, Rabbit, is an alcoholic and left her only son, Xavier, to be raised by the nuns at the
school.
During one of her seizures, she envisions a boy who is definitely her relation.
She is resolved to go to Moose Factory and ask Rabbit’s son to come with her.
Niska paddles to the school, hides near the playground, and waits for an opportunity to ask Xavier to
come away with her.
He agrees immediately.
The next day, X takes the nun, Magdalene, on a canoe ride. Niska scares her so that she falls out of the
boat. Niska hits her with a paddle, and she and X ride off up north together.
X is quick to learn his traditional ways, however he is frightened by Niska’s seizures.
In her last seizure at the end of the chapter, she tells us that a visitor would come to them with a
request that she could not ignore.
Onatopaniwiw (Fighter) pg 221-239
X reflects from the canoe, he likes the story of Niska hitting the nun with the paddle. He also
remembers, though he was only at the school for a short time, he and Elijah took care of each other.
Elijah was molested by the nun.
X believes that after he lost is leg was when he decided to die. X also can now see why Elijah loved the
morphine.
X and Elijah had planned to run away from the school up north, before X learned about Niska.
X can’t get Lisette off his mind, which is dangerous in the field.
X and Elijah have different approaches to killing; we see X use a traditional FN attitude; praying to Gitchi
Manitou and meeting his enemy in a place after death as equals / friends
The company is planning a big raid, and X and Elijah are to go out together.
When Elijah is high on morphine he tells X to go into his kit and retrieve a couple rounds of Mauser
ammo. X finds scalps in there.
Elijah goes out in the middle of the night, slits 3 German soldiers’ throats and scalps them. This is in
stark contrast to X’s attitude towards kills. Elijah is transforming.
The raid on Vimy Ridge starts. The Canadians shell the German lines and charge. They find out that the
Germans have been digging deep tunnels and have survived the shelling. The open machine gun fire on
the charging Canadians and there are many casualties.
X and Elijah snipe many Germans using the machine guns.
Gilberto is shot in the face and dies during this attack.
While charging the German line, X repeats the name “Niska” over and over, believing it will keep him
safe.
X kills a German boy in close combat and is almost killed by large German man before McCaan puts a
revolver to the man’s head and kills him.
Ishinakwahitisiw (Turning) pg 240-258
After the killing of the big man, X barely remembers what happened, though Elijah seems to have
helped guide him through it.
Fat has been sent to Blighty for medical attention after taking a bayonet in his leg. Self-inflicted???
Changing attitudes towards war. This is also emphasized by X’s attitude in this chapter. Escape war.
Elijah sees a plane and says he would give his left arm to be in one – desire to see things from above.
Planes, birds, morphine.
X shoots a bird – staying grounded – jealousy – turning (his killing). Later we see he won’t kill the
swallow in his cabin when Breech commands him to.
Talk about doing things in 3s. The wemistikoshiw do everything in 3s – war / religion. Connection to
witchcraft, 3 being a popular number (remember Macbeth?) X discusses going on the 3 day road and
wonders if there is a magical connection between the two cultures.
X sneaks off to see Lisette in her village. When he gets to her place she is with and officer. He realizes
she is a prostitute and punches the officer who was with her in the face (which is a good way to die). He
returns back furious and is called in the morning by Breech to discuss his whereabouts.
Nice little memory of X and Elijah in a cemetery outside Toronto – time of innocence, what they used to
be like, first glimpse of war = death, and a bit of racism
Funny translation scene – why isn’t this a movie?
Barn swallows – mother and 2 babies are ordered to be killed by Breech. Connection to family
graveyard scene. War kills all.
Ka Nipihat Windigowa (Windigo Killer) – pg 259-268
Niska tells the story of when she was summoned to kill a windigo by a neighbouring clan.
Quote p 261: “I realized then that sadness was at the heart of the windigo, a sadness so pure that it
shrivelled the human heart and let something else grow in its place. To know that you have desecrated
the ones you love, that you have done something so damning out of a greed for life that you have been
exiled from your people forever is a hard meal to swallow, much harder to swallow than that first bite of
human flesh”
The windigo’s eyes were dark like that of a goose – several comparisons to windigo and a wild animal.
The kill has many similarities to what Niska experienced in her youth with her father. Strangled. Gets
her period. A child too young to, witnesses it.
“Sometimes one must be sacrificed if all are to survive” – killing for survival? Life lesson?
X wants a friend. They bring Elijah up with them. He is a big talker.
Confirmation that Elijah was molested by nuns – seems like not a huge deal, but is this the root of
Elijah’s sadness?
Tapakwewin (Snaring) – pg 269-288
Elijah tells X a story of one night him going hunting Fritz. He sets a snare and beckons the Germans:
“Here Fritzy, Fritzy…” Germans come running up the trench and his snare is successful, strangling one of
the soldiers – killing for fun VS survival (transformation)
Elijah’s physically transforming. Can’t poop. Getting skinny. Starting to get trench foot. He is still able
to cover up who he is (Driscoll), but X can see what he is becoming.
Elijah’s getting over confident. Two examples of him walking out in the open when learning the location
of the two snipers by the church tower. Step, step, dodge. The other at the end after sniping a German
officer and another soldier, and Elijah callously walks back to their trench, bullets whipping by.
In war, the troop comes across a man holding a funny looking weapon. It is a flame thrower!!! Graves is
burnt to a crisp. Fat is devastated; this is the only man who showed him respect.
Celebrating at a pub after, and drunk, Elijah and X meet a FN corporal – they wonder if it’s Peggy. Again
here we see Elijah’s jealousy; he wants to have the most kills of anyone (Feeds on kills; a different type
of survival). Immediately after leaving the pub, it is blown up by a bombing from a plane.
Masinawhikewin (Writing) – pg 289-301
X’s medicine is running out. He has become so weak that Niska must feed him like a baby bird.
Niska recalls how she taught X to divine using a moose’s should blade.
Niska also recalls how sad she was when X and Elijah decided to go fight in the war.
Niska tells of how she travelled to town to sit and listen for news of the war.
Joseph Netmaker sits with her in the store, translating what the wemistikoshiw say. Later, when Joseph
travels to her, Niska gets him to write a letter to send to X.
Micisow (Feeding) – pg 302-310
X mentions how that letter actually caused him trouble; though he doesn’t really elaborate at this time.
X recalls how after killing a young sniper, he and Elijah go to investigate. X is startled and accidently
shoots the soldier’s wife. A young child appears and charges at X. X holds her off apologizing for what
he’s done, Elijah shows up and shoots the child, claiming he didn’t know… X questions if he is truthful
X gets hammered off rum at Xmas time and wanders dangerously near the front line and no man’s land.
X’s company is fighting at Passchendaele. It is extremely muddy and the worst place they have fought
so far.
On Xmas break Elijah travels to see the Frenchmen who told him about collecting scalps.
We are left to wonder how that meeting went over. Were they disgusted??? (stare/ acted nervous –
Elijah says) What did Elijah do?
He comes back with meat, “a gift from the Frenchmen”. Is he eating human flesh? He jokes he is, then
covers it up saying it is horse meat.
Has Elijah gone windigo? X had some – remember the baby (Micah’s ate human flesh – the other baby
who didn’t finish the piece of bear gristle and bad things happened).
Masinahikan (The Letter) – pg 311-323
On patrol in no man’s land, Elijah and X come near a group of German soldiers, it is too close to dawn so
Elijah invites them to come play with them the next night. Fritzy says they’ll be waiting for them, but
Elijah knows they won’t.
Elijah and X speak in code to one another about morphine. They have a relationship of convenience.
X notes a change in McCaan. He can see it in his eyes.
There is a night raid. Elijah, X, McCaan, Thompson, and a new soldier will go. When they get to the
trench they fight it empty. It is then that X realizes that is what Fritz wanted. They are shelled. The
soldier blows up.
X hides in a dugout. He can see McCaan, missing an arm, not far from him and knows Fritz is coming.
He feels paralyzed and watches as McCaan is shot in the head.
When X returns back to their line he learns that Thompson was also hurt badly, but unlike him, Elijah
carried him back to their line.
X is surprised at role call when he receives a letter. It is from Niska. X has Fat translate it as he no
longer trusts Elijah. We learn that Joseph didn’t do a great job translating. X believes that Niska is dead,
and that God will understand if he must kill Elijah. X is obviously very confused by this.
Elijah gets X to build a big fire. He takes out a shoulder bone of a German and asks X to divine for him. X
says: “They are over there” motioning to the other side of the trench.
Elijah denies eating human flesh, but he does mention how there are others who will eat the eyes
and/or hearts of their enemy.
X is disgusted, he builds a matatosowin to try centre himself and think clearly.
When, at night he goes to lie next to Elijah, he considers trying Elijah’s morphine, but decides against it.
X comes close to murdering Elijah by trying to make him overdose on morphine instead, but also decides
against it.
Piminaawin (Flying) – pg 324-331
Present day, X takes the last of his morphine.
Grey Eyes has been missing for a week. There is only Breech, Fat, X and Elijah left
Elijah receives a medal for bravery (or something important).
It has been several moments since the morphine incident. X has stopped going out hunting with Elijah.
Elijah now goes out and buries himself in the mud. He does this by himself.
Elijah gets a feeling about a thought deserted section of trench. He spots a well cared for cat and knows
it must belong to an officer or someone important. He sneaks upon a meeting of 4 significant German
soldiers. He kills two with his war club, shoots one in the forehead and beats the last to death with his
club while the man is having a heart attack.
He scalps the men and takes their important papers to confirm the kill.
Thompson has died from his wounds.
Elijah is allowed to go up in a plane with one of the pilots. When he speaks of it, he sounds like himself
again.
Elijah doesn’t enjoy the flight, he feels as though he has no control; which he doesn’t like. Interesting
that this is the only time in the war he’s felt like this so far.
Was he meant to walk on the earth and not fly? Elijah may not be as different as he thought.
Nipahiwewin (Murder) – pg 332-343
Elijah’s mom died of a coughing sickness. He used to talk to his dead mother and was beat by the nuns
for it. He stopped when he met Niska.
Canadian troops run a surprise attack on the Germans in the middle of the night at Amiens. Operating
as a large unit and following a tank; killing anyone who stays behind.
Colquhoun has come to replace McCaan. He feels he has something to prove and attempts to discipline
Elijah for taking off.
Elijah gets separated from his troop. He meets up with the 48th Highlanders; the group back from
training in Canada. He learns that the man he was in the shooting contest with was killed by a Hun
sniper.
Elijah has 356 confirmed kills. He tells the story of how he happens upon a medic tent. He is out of
morphine. He notices that the medic is busy. He comes to a man who is bleeding out from a gut shot
and Elijah fills him so full of morphine that he kills the man.
X notices Elijah’s eyes as he tells him this story. “His eyes absorb the light, don’t want to reflect back
what he has done”. P 338
On rout to fight at Canal du Nord, Elijah is brought in to Breech’s dugout. Grey Eyes is there, looking like
a wild animal. Grey Eyes has told on Elijah saying that he is addicted to morphine and has committed
atrocities on the battlefield.
Breech starts to scold Elijah, thinking he finally has him. Elijah gets furious and pulls out his gun. He has
it aimed at Grey Eyes when the dugout is bombed.
Getting up from the blast, Elijah murders Grey Eyes and Breech by smashing their heads in with a chunk
of wood.
Elijah tells X that he is fighting what is becoming of him. He has also had reoccurring memories of when
Magdalene molested him.
The war appears to be ending and Elijah is talking of returning home, thinking things could be the same.
X says they can’t because Niska is dead.
Weesageechak (Hero) – pg 344-351
Niska paddles ashore. X is sick as he going through withdrawals. Niska says she will help him through it,
but X expects to die.
On an attack, X captures prisoners. Elijah wishes he would have killed them, but lets X and Fat escort
them back.
Elijah and X are on a scouting mission, Elijah sneaks ahead through the tall grasses. X hears a rifle shot,
when he comes closer he sees that Elijah has a young German pinned and is stabbing him in the solarplexus. Elijah also has blood around his mouth which he is trying to wipe off.
Elijah says that they can go home as heroes, and he can be a great chief. He also says that he won’t let
anyone take that away from him.
Oniimowi Pineshish (Little Bird Dancer) – pg 352-363
Niska is going to build a sweat lodge and gathers medicinal plants to try her best to heal X, though she
knows it is something deeper that afflicts him.
Niska lies close to him in the matatosowin and tells him the story of his life.
She tells of how when he was 6 or 7 he got separated from her in the bush. He tracked a moose but was
unable to kill it. Later he came across the largest grouse he had ever seen and witnessed many grouse
take part in a circular patterned dance. He recognized how so much of his culture is done in a circle; you
always end up where you began.
Niska had been following X the whole time. He was proud knowing that he proved he would be a good
bush man.
2 days later they caught up to the moose and killed it. They through a party. X tells his story of his first
hunt and shows everyone the mating dance of the grouse.
When she is finished telling the story, Niska believes X will either live or die; his heart is still beating. She
lays next to him and tries to dream what he dreams. She envisions the war, people all running from
something; it is Elijah.
Nipiwin (Dying) – pg 364-377
Ntashiihkewin (Home) pg 378-382