the night watchman by louise erdrich review

He is a superstitious person and gets freaked out when Thomas mentions that he has been seeing an owl at the factory, as owls are signs of deaths. LaBette is a friend of Thomas and works as the evening janitor at the jewel bearing factory. He trains Wood Mountain and has his eyes on Patrice, who is uninterested in him. Nicknamed 'Hay Stack' among the Chippewa because of his thick blonde hair, Barnes is a white man and boxing instructor on the reservation. He becomes particularly affectionate and takes care of Vera's baby when Patrice brings him home from Minneapolis. He is a young Chippewa boxer who nurses a crush on Patrice for most of the book. She had always been someone whom Patrice had looked up to as a source of wisdom and lightness in a household oppressed by their drunk father. She is Patrice's older sister who moved to Minneapolis and has gone missing. She works as a cook and caretaker of the schoolteachers and gives advice to the younger generation. Juggie is the mother of Wood Mountain and an excellent cook.

She packs the hot coffee and food that Thomas relies upon to sustain him through his night shift as watchman. Like Thomas, she is constantly working and laboring, mostly within the domestic sphere. Rose is Thomas’ wife and mother to their children, including Sharlo, Fee, and Wade, who live in the house, and three older children, Lawrence, Archie, and Ray, who have moved out. This search drives her to the edges of her life as she discovers herself as a young woman. In the novel, she’s in search of her missing sister. She is a fierce young woman who dares to be the wildest among the wild. She also works at the factory but as a manual worker. Pixie, who insists on being called 'Patrice,' is a young intelligent, strong, and independent Chippewa woman and the primary breadwinner in her family. Thomas is a natural leader as he takes part in political organizations. The novel explores different moments of ups and downs while working at the factory. He works through the night writing letters to potential allies and decision-makers as well as researching the bill and its author, Congressman Arthur V. The 'emancipation' bill disturbs him, and he works diligently day and night to sound the alarm and organize tribal people together to resist the bill. He is a devoted husband and father and has been married to his wife Rose for 33 years.

Thomas is the title character of the novel and works as a night watchman for a factory that produces gemstones used for drilling by the Department of Defense.

The night watchman by louise erdrich review