Love Medicine - A study of Marie
A detailed Summary of Love Medicine - A study of Marie
Marie Lazzarre-Kashpaw is an extremely central character in Loise Erdrich's
novel, Love Medicine. The collection of short stories chronicles Marie's life from her
battles with an abusive nun at age fourteen, to conflicts with her children and
grandchildren at the age of sixty-four. Throughout the novel she takes on many roles and
can be associated to a great many themes, images, objects and details. In the text of this
paper, I will present a few of these roles and associations in an attempt to better
understand the Marie Lazzarre-Kashpaw character, and determine what her presence
accomplishes in the larger narrative of Love Medicine.
One recurring theme throughout the novel is Marie's reluctance to be associated
with her Lazzarre roots. The Lazzarre clan is thought of as the "trash" of the community,
as most of them live in extreme poverty and have serious drinking problems. Marie is
embarrassed by her roots and is thoroughly disgusted by her family, barring her sister
Lucille. This is most evident in the part of the novel when Marie's mother gives her
Lucille's daughter, June, after the child is found orphaned in the woods. . .
"We don't know how the girl done it," said the old

her with all my might. She flew in. But the outstretched
disappointment, as when a fish slips off the line. Only I
real devotion to God), and some due to Leopolda's obsession with "beating the Hell out
mechanism is seen when Gordie appears at Marie's home extremely drunk and near
Bear was a hot fire that I wanted to crush. After that,
stigmata. Marie had finally become a saint. Later, when all of the nuns are fawning over
life, she put the shape of it back in place. And even though
went beyond the frailer connections. More than saving my
of" Marie. The most brutal of these occasions is chronicled below when Marie kicks
and help him attain the position of chairman for the tribe. She makes and mothers
These relationships touch on an important theme in Love Medicine and the
"The Beads" when Marie takes in June, although she knows it will make her life more
family is a recurring them throughout the novel, and it motivates Marie to be a strong
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1685
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)
Category: English
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