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| Author | Louise Erdrich |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Harper Perennial |
| Publication place | United States |
The Night Watchman is a 2020 novel by American writer Louise Erdrich. The novel won the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. The novel was inspired by the life of Erdrich's grandfather who motivated and inspired other members of the Turtle Mountain Reservation to resistance the Indian termination policies of the 1940s-1960s. Alongside the political storyline, readers follow a variety of other characters through daily life on the reservation, family tragedy, boxing matches, and romance.
Writing and composition
Erdrich's grandfather was a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians; Erdrich is also a member. Erdrich was inspired by letters written by her grandfather detailing his resistance against termination bills meant to assimilate Native Americans into broader American society through a variety of means, including the end of federal recognition of the sovereignty of indigenous tribes. Erdrich has referred to the letters as " beautiful, full of humor and storytelling".
This historical fiction provides detailed descriptions of surroundings and relationships between characters. It is written in the third person and frequently follows a number of characters, including minor characters and in one instance, animals.
Characters
Thomas Wazhask – Thomas is a kindhearted man, a husband and a father, who spends his nights as a Watchmen in a jewel bearing plant in Turtle Mountain. He becomes politically involved when he reads the Indian Termination Bill and begins to organize against it. Wazhask translates to “muskrat” in Ojibwe and is pronounced Wa-shush-k. While unfortunately locked outside of his place of work during a snowstorm in the night, Thomas experiences a vision where he describes seeing Jesus Christ and others.
Patrice Paranteau - Patrice (also known as Pixie) is a strong, willful 19 year old who is determined to find her missing older sister, Vera. She ventures to the city and takes up a job performing at a bar while pursuing various leads towards her sister's whereabouts.
Semi-Fiction
Aspects of this fictional novel are inspired by historical events. The jewel-bearing plant is based on a real factory in Turtle Mountain where mostly women were employed. While an attempt in 1955 to unionize failed, the workers succeeded in their demand for higher pay and better working conditions.
The fictional dialog written in the book about Turtle Mountain’s testimony to Congress closely follows the real transcripts of the testimony given there.
Reception
Critical reception
In a review for The New York Times, Luis Alberto Urrea praised the novel, referring to it as " a magisterial epic that brings power of witness to every page."
Love, rage, political resistance, and courage saturate the lives of the memorable characters in The Night Watchmen.
Honors
The novel won the 2021 Pulitzer Prize. The committee awarding the prize referred to the novel as " a majestic, polyphonic novel about a community’s efforts to halt the proposed displacement and elimination of several Native American tribes in the 1950s, rendered with dexterity and imagination."
References
- Bobrow, Emily (2020-03-06). "'The Night Watchman' Review: After the Buffalo, Who Are We Now?". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2021-11-24.
- Davies, Dave (4 March 2020). "Louise Erdrich On Her Personal Connection To Native Peoples' 'Fight For Survival'". NPR.org. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
- Simon, Scott (29 February 2020). "Louise Erdrich's Grandfather Inspired Her New 'Night Watchman'". NPR.org. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
- "The Night Watchman: A Novel | Washington Independent Review of Books". www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com. Retrieved 2021-11-24.
- Urrea, Luis Alberto (2020-03-03). "Fighting to Save Their Tribe From Termination". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
- "wazhashk (na) | The Ojibwe People's Dictionary". ojibwe.lib.umn.edu. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
- THE NIGHT WATCHMAN | Kirkus Reviews.
- Charles, Ron (March 2, 2020). "With 'The Night Watchman,' Louise Erdrich Rediscovers Her Genius". The Washington Post.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - "Louise Erdrich Weighs In on the Battle Over Fiction and Identity". Time. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
- Erdrich, Louise (2020). The Night Watchmen. 195 Broadway, New York, NY: HarperCollins. p. 444. ISBN 978-0-06-267118-9.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link) - Erdrich, Louise (2020). The Night Watchmen. 195 Broadway, New York, NY: HarperCollins. p. 449. ISBN 978-0-06-267118-9.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link) - Urrea, Luis Alberto (3 March 2020). "Fighting to Save Their Tribe From Termination". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
- Literary Affairs. "March 2020 Book of the Month". Retrieved 2021-11-23.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - "2021 Pulitzer Prize Winners & Finalists". The Pulitzer Prizes (pulitzer.org). Retrieved June 11, 2021.
