Final Review

After I completed the novel Three Day Road I had mixed reviews. As I said in my first impression blog I found the start of the novel very boring. Xavier ad Elijah are very well described in the book. I enjoyed the contrast between Xavier ad Elijah's characters in the book, they are two very different people before the war and during the war. I like how differently each character handles the war. Both Elijah and Xavier use there past throughout the war. I enjoy how Xavier relies on his hunting skills to survive, while Elijah uses his English knowledge to bond with other troops in the trench. As I have said before, I also enjoyed how acturate the war was portrayed in the book. The author did not sugar coat it, it was as brutal in the book as it actually was in real life. Besides this, I found the book extremly boring. Some parts I did not understand such as the spirtual parts. Even though this book was won awards I really did not find it a well rounded book, I would definitely not have read this book on my own time, I would not reccomend the book to anyone. I would rate this book 5/10.

The Power of Storytelling

     In the book "Three Day Road" Niska and Elijah invoke the power of storytelling that both had huge effects on how the story progressed and the final outcome at the end.

   
      Elijah uses his smooth English and riveting storytelling to become a member of his battalion and with skill can talk his way or of trouble with the officers. He wins respect of his fellow soldiers in arms and rises through the ranks in the army. Over his time in the front lines Elijah becomes one of the most well know snipers and received medals for his actions. He is an inspiration to the battalion becoming the heart that lives in the battalion. He is believed to be invincible in battle with the number of kills and his time spent in the front lines.

   
     Niska throughout the book tells stories of her life to compel Xavier that his life is not yet over. Her stories invoke the spirit within Xavier to cleanse himself of his addiction. Xavier struggles with the fact that he has killed Elijah. Niska is persistent however and does not give up on Xavier. Stories of her life explained in such detail helps Xavier forget himself and focuses on something else rather than the pain of the horrors of war. "Nephew is quieter now, breathing easier, staring into the fire and the rocks that heat at its centre." Her stories cured Xavier and gave him purpose.


     Storytelling definitely played a major role of how things ended up for both Niska and Elijah.

The Overall Experience

     In the beginning Three Day Road was, let's face it, dreadfully tedious. Many would say that Niska's stories were the "downside" or the "too much detail" parts of the novel. I believe those stories added a little bit of contrast to the plot of the novel. With the war flashbacks, the descriptions that Joseph Boyden gave were very well done in my opinion. Although the war stories were well done I personally wouldn't read it again, these books aren't the ones that I normally read. The best part for the book for me was making the connections between Niska's stories and the ending of the novel.

Niska's story

I wanted to discuss a specific passage about one of Niska's stories I found particular odd. Niska is hiding in the bushes by the play area at the residential school. When her nephew chases a ball close by she calls him to come talk to her. She asks him to come live with her so she can teach him the old ways. I'm appalled at the fact that a five or six year old child would just say yes to go away to a complete stranger. Even at that age when a person asks for you to come away you should be hesitant.(218) Not even scared of the person their-self, but to move away from everything you've ever know and jump into something different. For a child, that's extremely odd that they would not feel scared to do something such as this. This just solidifies the terrible stories that come from residential schools. This child would choose to live with a complete stranger in the forest rather than his school. Thinking anything would be better than being here. I would have to ask a child at that age if they would be up for it but they would never understand what an actual residential school was like and still could not make an informed decision. This specific story of Niska's directly correlates to the main idea of residential schools.

Original 

The original time setting in the novel was after WWI when one of the Aboriginal soldiers Xavier  came back home to meet his aunt Niska and they shared their experiences with each other. The author constantly used flashbacks to describe the events happened in their lives I think the reason for including so many flashbacks was so it made the book even more exciting. I really liked how the flashback were used in this book because they used in certain places and they were used really effectively. 

Elijah's Time

        Elijah and X have been friends all during the novel and have been friends before the war and so on but something about being in the war has changed Elijah and it has not been for the best. Elijah had became something that X has never seen out of his friend before. The killing and war gives Elijah a rush of some sort that makes him want more to want more killing, want more dead, he wants the killing to be more brutal and physical, he wants it to be a surprise, and he wants people to know his name for people to be scared of the Canadian sniper. It does not help that he is addicted to morphine either taking it on a daily and before raids and any big killing. It gives him a great high and X does not like this about his friend. X has seen something very different from his friend, Elijah joking about the meat being German to going out on raids alone. Elijah scalps his victims and in one point of the novel X catches Elijah who has killed one solider and when Elijah gets up he has blood running down his face. I have come to think that Elijah has gone windigo and with his best friend being the last of the windigo killer I have a feeling that knowing this and the for shadowing of it makes me believe the end of the book more easier to think about and understand. There's hints throughout the novel more towards the end saying that Elijah is not human anymore that X says he is in a shadow a dark place and somewhere else that he cannot ever come from or out of. This is mainly because of the morphine but I also think that he is not human and windigo because he is not human anymore and he enjoys killing and being out alone even though he is thin he is still strong. In the end of the novel when X kills Elijah i believe that it is because he is windigo and that X feels like he is.

Survival and Sacrifice

In the chapter "Death" we get to read about a very interesting exchange of dialog and action. In this chapter we read that Elijah says to Xavier " We both cant leave this place" It was at this moment in the book that i knew that Elijah was refering to survival of the fittest. We read about the struggle between Xavier and Elijah and how Xavier overpowers Elijah and ends up strangeling him. This part in the book shows that the war is all about survival of the fittest. Even though Elijah and Xavier had been very good friends, they were quick to turn on each other when it came to who would live. If Xavier wouldnt have killed Elijah then he would have been killed and the book would have ended differently. Xaver made a huge sacrifice by killing Elijah that ended up saving Xavier.

The 'Whole' Novel (REVISED)

The novel as a whole is mostly about war. It is about the gruesome, horrible, sad, and miserable parts of war. The parts that are usually left out and untold of, the parts that we are not proud of as Canadians. It explains what happens to those who have to kill in war. How soldiers of war are changed physically, mentally, and spiritually. Everyone's experience in war is different. Everyone deals with war in different ways, and justifies their actions however they can, that is if they feel their actions can be justified. Boyden pulls all this together and it become a huge theme in the novel. 
Friendship is also a big theme in the novel. The friendship between Xavier and Elijah, Niska and Xavier and Niska and Elijah (we read of this friendship in a flashback), Elijah and the other solders, Xavier and the other solders, even the boys and the land. How the war ruined it and made it ugly. 
I feel morphine is an important theme but its not as important as many people think. Morphine is the killer in the novel, its the addiction, in ways it is the hope, its what takes the pain away, its what keeps you alive and un worried. Its a sign of disgust and sadness and disappointment but also a sign of hope and future. None of us were in the war so who are we to say that morphine is a killer and is super bad. It gave many men of the soldiers bravery which saved our country. 
Lust and desire between Xavier and Lissette and Niska and the French man I also feel is an important theme. Xavier falls for someone undeserving of his love such as his aunt had years ago. Its a theme that we read many times, different interactions between Niksa and the French man and also between Xavier and Lissette. Being wanted, loved and touched is something that all humans at one point or another crave in their lives, unfortunately for Niska and Xavier it ended badly.
Home. I feel home is the center of this novel. Elijah and Xavier are good at snipping and hunting because of home. Home is where they want to go, where they want to be. Home is the center of their lives its one happy thing, the one happy place that they remember.  

In conclusion I think the main themes of the novel are war, friendship, love and home. 

Under My Command

       If we were to look at Elijah and Xavier from the officer's point of view what kind of people would they be?  I think Xavier would have been someone who the officers could count on however they would not have asked him directly to do anything because of the language barrier and the fact that he was a "fly under the radar" kind of guy. Xavier would not have been someone they were worried about keeping their eyes on, unless they were racist against him. The officers may have been happy Xavier is on there side rather than against him because of his skills as a sniper.
     Elijah would have been someone the officers would have been proud to have. Elijah would have the officers thinking he had a great education and would never betray the Canadian army. The officers would have been very proud to have his skills and his drive to use them on their side. Some officers would have thought he is the kind of soldier that would snap and turn on them or take his own life as well as someone else on there side. Other officers would have been worried that Elijah was messed up in something when he did not return.
     Both Elijah and Xavier would have been in the minds of the officers. This is because they would not have done some things the same way as other people because of their cultural beliefs, and from what they already know about hunting.

The Truth

Three Day Road was a good book However the part where Xavier kills Elijah was really shocking but I think everyone who was reading the book knew that it was going to happen at sometime in the book. The reason why i thought this was going to happend was becuase in some parts of the book it  showed the progression of the two friends and how the war has changed them into two different people, sending them into two different directions. When Elijah and Xavier are in the war Elijah starts acting different in ways I think this because the war impacted his life in many ways. Xavier has gone down a different path one completley oppposite direction of Elijah it seems. 

Survival of the Fitess

The end of the book came quite a shock to me.  I honestly wouldn't have known the outcome of Elijah's death if the class had not spoiled it. I would like to discuss the fighting scene between the two characters Elijah and Xavier.  The chapter this takes place in is called dying. That is a very fitting title in the sense that at this point we know Xavier is dying and what will happen is how Elijah ends up dead as well. The point I knew something was going to go wrong is when Elijah mouths "we both can't leave" at that point the boys are no longer brothers, friends, or on the same team. It was survival of the Fitess. I couldn't imagine having to kill my bestfriend with my own hands as though they would do to me if I didn't do to them. There is self realization in Elijah at this point when he asks Xacier if he had gone to far , that e has gone to far. After reading that I would have figured that Elijag was ready to die but with a last effort goes and tried to choke Xavier again. Then Xavier did what he had to do

And had to end his friends life. Only at that point it was no longer Elijah in that body Elijah was far long gone. And even though Xavier tells him self that you can still see how this death will not leave him. Throughout readi this novel I often asked myself if I could do as any of these characters did.  And that's probably the toughest question to ask. So honestly I'd like to say I would never ever kill a person let alone my best friend, but I've never been faced with a circumstance that follows and I really do hope never to be. 

Character Development

In this story, the main characters who are Elijah & Xavier, & as well as Niska. But I want to discuss Elijah and Xavier's character development. These 2 boys thought about joining the war one day, with no experience once so ever, just knew how to hunt which meant shooting a gun, and useing snares. They showed one another how to get through the day, and know how to become a well trained soldier. They knew that they had to forget about their other life, and continue on with their new life. Nothing changed the fact that they were friends, they just knew that sometimes they needed a break from one another before something bad happened between their very well began friendship. 

From my opinion Elijah just used Xavier for a spotter so that he could shoot these men, and walk back at night thinking he got these men on his very own, and how Xavier did nothing to help him. I felt like that was a downhill slide into their friendship because if they were true born and raised friends since they were babies in the residential school, then why did Elijah not give any credit to Xavier for how good he could spot these men for Elijah to pull the trigger! It wasnt very fair to Xavier for how he didn't give him a pat on the back for his good visions of these men, or for how he wouldn't even tell the other men that he didn't just do this one his own, he could only do it with the help of his best bud Xavier!

These 2 boys started of as best friends who couldn't be peeled apart from one another, but deep down into the novel, there was a lot of changes that came along with that. "They don't give a damn about us, Xavier. We sit without talking for a While. It might be better that they separate us, Elijah says in the dark. It will teach you a little about independence. It will give you a chance to make a name for yourself, to grow a little." (Pg 102)

That just shows how Elijah could care least To have his best friend by his side st all times of this dangerous war, especially the fact that they might not see each other ever again, they sure didn't bother him! 

Inner Turmoil in Every Soldier

     "I fight my own struggles just as Elijah does, and every other man, Canadian, English, German, French, Australian, American, Burmese, Austrian, fights his. We all fight on two fronts, the one facing the enemy, the one facing what we do to the enemy." (Page 326) This passage contains one of the most meaningful statements found in this novel and shows not just the struggles of Elijah, Xavier, or even just Canadians. Rather, it shows the difficulties of war for every person involved.
     Every person that is involved in any war are deeply affected by what they see, witness, and have to take a part in. I find that as a Canadian, when I think about war, I think about the sacrifice of Canadian men and women and the struggles that they have to go through during and after war. Although that is an important thing to think about, I think it is also important to see that all people involved, no matter where they are from, are fighting a battle within themselves over the things that they do. This battle within each person may look different but every person is affected. I find that it is very easy while reading about the war to imagine the enemies as something in between you and your goal. This passage puts a face on all people involved in the war, not just the Canadians or Allies. Everybody fights a struggle in the war and it is a battle against oneself just as much as against anybody else.

I Can Speak Better Than You, In Your Langauge

"I watch as Elijah helps Gilbert to compose a letter to his wife and children, telling of his latest accomplishments," ( P 151 Three Day Road). Xavier is telling us how he sees that Elijah can help people with his words. Being able to communicate is a huge part of life and just because you speak the same language does not mean you are good at communicating with someone. Elijah has a way with words and the variety of words the English language has for him to choose from is quite amazing. We do not hear a lot about how Elijah communicates in Cree. He may only speak well or communicate well in English because he was taught the language by nuns, and had to speak it well. I think the fact that Elijah can speak English so well bothers Xavier. This could bother Xavier for a number of reasons, Xavier cannot communicate as well as Elijah, Xavier and Elijah always compete with each other, Xavier does not know English well enough to correct Elijah when he exaggerates things. Though his speaking skills have helped the men in a few situations Xavier could do with speaking better English. English is the hardest language to learn. They say it is easier to learn new things when you are young. By the time Xavier got to the residential school Elijah was already able to write English.

Drug Addiction Costs Lives

     In the book "Three Day Road" drug addiction takes its toll on some soldiers in the war that are in no way a good thing for them or the people they are fighting with.

     Grey Eyes, a soldier Elijah and Xavier meet, is the first soldier we find abusing the medicine to relieve pain in the field morphine. One death is responsible for his use. The death of Sean Patrick is partly responsible for Grey Eyes' use of drugs. His responsiveness to what is happening around him is impaired to the point where others die because of it.

     Grey Eyes is rightly named for his character because of the effects of morphine in his body. When he takes to much he lies as if he is a corpse. "When Grey Eyes takes a lot of it, he lies still like he is dead until I worry he has joined them. Then he groans a little and breathes deeply like he is sleeping with the dead for a short while."(page 80, Joseph Boyden). This is powerful to me because when you take this medicine you lose yourself in it that you as a person is dead inside.

Carter "An unsatisfactory craving"

P.T.S.D Shell Shock

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is what the whole book from Xavier's point of view is being told through. He tells of the wars events as he remembers them in flashbacks; caused by shell shock. The book depicts P.T.S.D well because most moments shown of the war happen while Xavier is in pain which causes him to remember the worst of the war. In the book Three Day Road the author portrayed P.T.S.D well because he showed the effects and how soldiers dealt with them. Some of the effects were: unable to sleep, always anxious, not able to eat, flashbacks, and real life nightmares. The soldier dealt with these by using drugs and alcohol to cope with Shell Shock by calming themselves down. Page 288 Xavier says ""This way",I say,pulling Elijah's sleeve and motioning with my other hand at the Corporal. We slip into an alley as the plane passes over, low and fast. A bomb falling from under the plane screams in the cold air, then we hear the whomp of splintering roof as it pierces wood and the tiny breath of silence before the explosion." This just goes to show the reason why P.T.S.D hits so many soldiers. It is because the threat was constant, and it mentally messed people up, to the point where the war affected them until the end of their life.

Trophies

     In the novel Elijah meets a soldier that asks him if he was the best sniper. Elijah kind of shrugs and is not sure what to say. The soldier asks him if he was the one who shot the Fritz best sniper and Elijah perks up and says yes he is. The soldier told him he is the best and very good at what he does and should be proud of how good he is and all the men he has killed. He told Elijah that he needs something to prove to people that he has actually shot all these people and almost something like trophies so he will always know how good he is and the work he has done. He says to remember all of your kills, Elijah should cut the scalps and hair off of all the men he has killed so then he can go back and look at all the kills he has. I think this is really weird and should not be something proud of to have that many kills also to keep their scalps you have to have some pretty big mental issues going on to do that.

Final Review

     After reading the novel Three Day Road I have to give the author Joseph Boyden credit. He was able to redeem himself after the terribly boring first half and transform the book into something that grabbed the reader's attention for the most part (I still didn't care for Niska's chapters). The character development was a strong point in my eyes. We are clearly able to see the progression of both Xavier and Elijah from the beginning of the war right up till Xavier ends Elijah's life. We can see the war consume Elijah and how Xavier progressively goes down a different path then Elijah. Another aspect that was well done was the portrayal of the setting. It was descriptive enough to paint you a well done picture but not emphasized on so much that it became annoying. " The Virgin Mary, golden and thirty feet tall, rises up from the ruins of a great church. She leans at such an angle that we wonder how she's not tumbled to the ground. She holds a cherubic baby Jesus in her arms, and his chubby weight seems to threaten to topple her further." (Pg. 178). This is a descriptive scene that really stood out to me from the whole story. The author is able to describe the scene and jump right back into the storyline. Overall I would give the book a 6/10 because of the slow start but also because I am simply biased. This is not something that I would read outside of school and it is not my type of story that I really enjoy.

The two best friends. 2

Elijah and Xavier are two really close friends who served as one of the best snipers in the war. They both enjoy each others company. However the friendship didn't last forever. As the book went on they grew what seemed to me "farther apart". At home Elijah was never rude to Xavier and never made fun of him to other people. But in the war it was different they seemed to have man differences that they never noticed before. For example in chapter Xavier felt that it was his duty to take care and protect elijah due to have more experience then him. They both were really competitive against each other because they both wanted to prove that they were better then one another. However in chapter 9 Elijah and Xavier enter a shooting competition where you had to light match a bullet but elijah ended up loosing that competition because he was over confident. 

Whats Really Important?

During the novel there's lots going on, between flashback to flashback, theres war scenes and intimate scenes but in the end what really important? For me I believe that Niska's stories and flashbacks were the most important because they were the background for why Xavier killed Elijah. Elijah is the last Windigo and Xavier is the last Windigo killer, without Niska's stories we wouldn't either understand or the book would be changed completely and we wouldn't have this kind of ending at all. I feel that the war stories, although they are better than Niska's stories, are just a distraction or an intriguing plot to keep readers reading.

Right What Was Wrong

As I read through the book, I constantly predicted the ending and the result was the same through every experience of X's. My one thought that made the most sense about how the story would end was with Xavier's death. His addiction was killing him from the inside and his memories were torturing him to the point where he wished death would come save him. It seemed at the end of the three day road that Niska would have to put her nephew's body in the trees to let his spirit be guided from his body. But the moment he ran out of morphine I thought he was gone. I was extremely surprised when the heat of the steam tent was the thing that saved his life. But, as i considered why, I realized it actually made more sense than at first. Xavier was going through withdrawls and the shear heat helped his system flush out any of the drug that was left inside.(381) By doing this, the stages of withdrawl from morphine was easier than sitting and waiting for your body to do it yourself. Xavier himself surprised me with how much will to live he had left inside. Falling into addiction and losing his leg wrapped up with PTSD could make anyone want to die. By him living makes me think he never wanted to die, he just thought that death was going to come and there was no way to stop it. In Elijah and Xavier's friendship, Elijah was always the leader but X was the strong minded, heart full of courage and a respect for life. He was the better person in my mind.

Survival

Getting closer to the end of the novel I can see the theme survival being thoroughly expressed. Not only can the reader see this in the main characters but the secondary characters as well. Looking further into this I see that it is not only the war soldiers who have to survive but Niska as well.  When Niska was younger she ended up losing her family's as in her one flash back in the chapter "My father" she explains how the men took her father as he committed a crime in the white peoples mind. Then most recently when Niska is explaining stories to Xavier when he left with Elijah for the war. She was again left alone. Niska has learned to survive with the environment and the help of certain spirits. Again looking back to the chapter "Betrayal" when the French men quite literally screwed her over , she was torn and alone and lost her spirit. She prayed and prayed and washed the Suns off of her and summoned a lynx spirit to rid her of the pain that she couldn't live with. That to me was an act of survival in a emotional way. There also was mention that Niska was concerned of the survival of Xavier as his current condition, but honestly I don't see that as much as a problem as I don't believe he will make it past the three day trip. 

Friendship & Survivial

Throughout reading the book I have realized that Elijah & Xavier work together created a wonderful bond of a relationship to get through the good & bad times. They show us how to never give up and to keep moving forward even if you are struggling for your last breath of air. Friendship is a good benefit for a person now a days because now everyone can make a hard and tough decision all on their own. You need a backup question or answer to help you make a forsure decision with what your doing. Friendship might seem like something you don't need as much right now, but for Elijah and Xavier it's a must for them. Nothing they do isn't without one another, that's all they know is to be with one another, and there's nothing wrong with that, to be a strong and tough person you need your side kick right beside you to help you get through the tough times! Survival is another thing that Elijah & Xavier use on an everyday basis, they need to realize that if making the wrong move, their life could be over in minutes, seconds.. These themes are shown lots in this book because of the war, and trying to stay alive in this book. As for Elijah he's the more outgoing one, he pushes himself into more dangerous situations, while Xavier stays in more safer areas. "I lie on my back for a second, feeling the snow fall on my face, and try to calm myself into standing up in this stream of fire. I sit and breath deeply, my face toward the sky. The snow feels cold, good on my face. I look over to see if Elijah is still alive and am surprised to see that he is no longer there" pg236. That shows how Elijah isn't afraid and knows that his survival is important but he's gotta do what he's gotta do to stay alive and also get his job done at the same time. 

Madness

    Elijah is wasting away and all Xavier can do is watch. The morphine has taken a hold of his sanity and now he believes he is invincible. He frequently goes on raids by himself and his fear is completely drained from his mentality. Drug abuse is a very scary topic to read about. What can happen to someone's mind is far worse that what can happen to their bodies. How can you reason with someone who has already lost their marbles?
Drug abuse is not something to laugh about. It destroys families and friends, just like what is happening to Xavier and Elijah. Once you start the drug abuse there is almost always no way of coming back. You fall down into a pit and sink down so far that you need help from others to get you out. If they still consider you a friend. You can't magically regrow your murdered brain cells, you can't hide the fact that your reflexes are loosening, and you can't run from the rot that slowly overtakes your body and feeds on your disgusting habits.
It has finally came to this. Xavier can no longer see the good in Elijah and fears for his life. Elijah spoke words to him but Xavier took those as threats. After a short-lived tussle between them, it is over. Xavier removes his rifle from Elijah's blue neck, steals his medicine and ID tags, then the story cuts off. It had to be done. There was no more hope left in Xavier that Elijah would come back to reality. He was too far gone and he needed to be stopped. This ending was heart breaking but it had to be done for the sake of Xavier's existence.

Caught up again!

Blogs and comments to this point have been checked. Remember to write about different topics and avoid character descriptions in future posts. Wait until you have finished reading the novel to write the last blog (#4). Finish the book by next Monday, which has been set aside for blogging/commenting. In class essay on Tuesday (no prep time!)

The Reality of Residential Schools

Even though this is a fiction book, there is lots of truth in these pages. Children of residential schools have been through experiences that none of the people my age will ever be able to understand. The character Elijah Whiskeyjack grew up and spent most of his childhood in one of these schools. Although ran by a church, they were never very virtuous or holy. His mother died when he was very young and did not want to believe she was truly gone. To make grieving easier, he would speak as though she was still with him. Elijah would have conversation as if she was standing in front of him. Instead of trying to help a child in need of a parent, the nuns would paddle and whip him until he would stop; leaving physical and emotional scars. (332) This would not be an isolated case. Abuse like this was so common, it makes me not only sad and upset but extremely frustrated. These people are people of God, they should help the hurting, fix the broken, and save the damned. That's the whole idea of religion not? To be a better person, selflessness and honesty. But, to turn your back or punish the innocent is to turn your back on the true meaning of your religion. No matter what religion you are, Christan, Buddhist, Islamic, or Hindu, what these people did to children was a sin in itself. They thought they were making these children right where in actuality they were making their own selves wrong.

The First Kill

In the Chapter Raiding Party(pg62-75) Xavier and Elijah get into a predicament which causes them to have to throw two mills bombs into the crater they hid in all day. This is both of their First human kills, and it seems to be affecting Xavier more than Elijah, " I replay it over and over in my head so that i don't sleep all night, pulling the pin on my mills bomb, throwing it and watching it arc until it disappears into the crater, the concussion and screams. I have killed someone now."(Pg75). This shows that he isn't ok with it, he did not like it. There is a part right after that makes me think this, it is when Thompson went to Elijah and Xavier and asked "What do you think of the last days, Whiskeyjack?"(Pg75), he was only asking Elijah and he said "It's in my Blood" then walks away without asking Xavier, this possible means that he know he wasn't ok with what he has done.

Over The Top

"Three Day Road" by Joseph Boyden is a great book that explains the horrors of the battle of Vimy Ridge in the first World War. Boyden makes that parts abut war very fast and action packed, and he explains the parts about war so well that you an almost see it. This helps the reader get into the book and make connections to the real world easier. Boyden also chose to describe the war in a very gross and brutal way. I think he chose to do this so that he could explain the the readers the actual horrors of war and also have the parts feel realistic. The parts in this book about the war are the best parts because they are action packed and you never know whats going to happen next in war. This helped to draw me into these parts and actually enjoy reading. "Thompson gives the nod and we set and throw the bombs in at the same time. They explode in a series of concussions. Men Scream. I am amazed by these little mans actions, He kills with such ease." I feel like this was one of the best parts in the book because this is where Elijah gets his first experience killing and it shows how mad Thompson is.

Resentment

Being sick of it all, some soldiers want to just go home no no longer care what the army has to say about it. Page 255 "I do not give a shit anymore" Xavier says in cree and later on also says"Tell the lieutenant that I fucked his mother last night". Soldier became angry at their leaders when they were ordered to do something that put them in extreme danger. Xavier says "I am sick of the army and want to go back to Mushkegowuk ". Another reason for resentment amongst the soldiers is that to become a medal holder, is to do the unthinkable in battle, which some soldiers will not do. They because of this become miserable for not being recognized and are overlooked by the other soldiers, sergeants, and lieutenants. However Xavier's resentment was toward Lisete for her not telling him the truth and with Elijah for setting him up and not telling him the truth also. I believe that soldiers during the war had many battles the battle with the enemy, with their leadership, and with their own values and beliefs.

Elijah and Xavier Disconnecting

     Throughout the time Elijah and Xavier spend on the front lines in the book Three Day Road their friendship and brotherhood slowly deteriorates. Xavier is slowly falling behind Elijah because Elijah is willing to surrender his beliefs and adapt to the "soldiers' life".

     Elijah, as the book progresses, is more and more addicted to morphine which helps him relax from all the suffering he endured or witnessed.  I think he chose to do this because of dealing with the blood and gore, many dead bodies on the battlefield, screams of pain and loss, and losing friends became to hard to bear on his own.

     Elijah, at the start of the book, was more attached to Xavier at the beginning of the war but as they got there the dominant language is English. Elijah became friends with some soldiers fairly quickly with his quick learning of English but Xavier fell behind and could not include himself into Elijah's new friends.

      During the war, Elijah becomes more independent and arrogant believing he is invincible and that nothing can hurt him. He is anxious to work alone even though him and Xavier work as a team.  "Elijah likes to go out of the trench at night and do his own patrols. Just him and the mud."(page 136, Joseph Boyden) Elijah and Xavier's friendship has slowly fallen apart.

War. The novel as a whole.

The novel as a whole is mostly about war. It is about the gruesome, horrible, sad, and miserable parts of war. The parts that are usually left out and untold of, the parts that we are not proud of as Canadians. It explains what happens to those who have to kill in war. How soldiers of war are changed physically, mentally, and spiritually. Everyone's experience in war is different. Everyone deals with war in different ways, and justifies their actions however they can, that is if they feel their actions can be justified. Boyden pulls all this together and it become a huge theme in the novl.

Boydens "Circle" Story

Three Day Road starts when Xavier is coming home and we flash back to war, and to the old times before war. I do appreciate Boydens idea to not put the book in chronological. I find the book boring and something that i would not read on my own time. By not putting the book in chronological order I had to refocus my reading and re-connect the dots of the story. I liked that. It kept me interested and engaged as a reader. On the other hand it did make the novel a bit confusing and it was harder to understand at times. Some parts I do wish he had put the book in chronological order but I appreciate that he didnt. It reminds me of the Cree Circle of Life. The earth, sun moon, etc are all circles. He starts the novel at the end of the story and circles back to the beginning. Xavier returns to Niska and then we circle back to when he left and his journey to war. This has not connection to me  because im not Cree but very well done Boyden.

Crater Hopping

The book has had some war scenes in it, but i especially like the Crater Hopping war scene. This scene is where Elijah, Xavier, Thompson, McCaan, Graves, and Sean Patrick go up out of there trenches into the wasteland to check craters. There job is to look for Canadian Soldiers and bring them back. They check some Craters and McCaan signals that the next one is there Objective, and once in they find one soldier in critical condition and McCaan and Sean Patrick are going to carry him back. Then they become pinned down, but get out of that crater and into another. The Morning is starting to rise and they decide to find a better crater for cover as they are going to wait until the next night fall to get back to their trenches. They have two sleep and two watch. When they are about to leave they hear boots in the trench beside them and each are given two mills bombs and are to pull the pins and throw them once the germans get close. I thought this part is a significant time in both Elijah's, and Xavier's life for the reason that it is there first time killing someone. This can turn the tides and makes me want to read more to find out if any side effects come to be.

Elijah's Sacrifice

     I have yet to reach the point in the book where we find out what happens to Elijah, but I have had an idea of what might happen since I was only a few chapters into the book. I believe that a moment will come in the novel when Xavier and Elijah will get into trouble while they are on a mission or on their regular sniping duties. This is how Elijah will die but it will because he sacrifices himself for Xavier in some way. They have been friends since they were just children and even though Elijah has been acting very strange and cold hearted towards Xavier in the way he always talks to him I believe he still considers him his best and really a true friend. A perfect example of him being like this is when he tells Xavier that they should prepare to be on their own. " Most probably. You must prepare yourself for that, for being on your own, Xavier." (Pg.102). I feel that he is saying it like this to almost hide his own feelings of sadness about the possibility of hem being separated. With this I believe when the time comes that Xavier is in danger Elijah will do something to sacrifice himself to save Xavier.

The change in Warfarec

    The way warfare was before World War 1 was quite different to what it used to be say 10 or 50 years from before the first World War started. If you think of how the war and how warfare was say in the American civil war or the war of 1812 where the Americans invaded Canada in the attempt to take the country over is very different even just 100 years later when the first world war broke out. For example in the war of 1812 they did have cannons but the cannons were not accurate in any means they were more a psychological weapon. The big bang that they made were to scare men, they did infact do damage but not to an extent of the "shelling" that took place in World War 1. Later they came out with the gatling gun again the loud bang and the multiple rounds shot from it were a great way of scaring men but were extremely inaccurate. In World War 1 you could say it was devastating and a lose of lives to great numbers. The machine guns that they used where very accurate and could put out multiple rounds unlike anything before it. The use of the ross rifles with bayonets that can be put on used for close range combat is a weapon made for killing it wasn't gunpowder and a ball anymore it was centerfire cartridges that the clips held 8 shots and were bolt action not one shot then reload. You could also put scopes on the guns and shoot other people from 800 yards away which would have never been thought of years before. The shelling used which were cannons but instead of shooting round balls shot missile which are very accurate and can be close to pin point, they are very disruptive and could result in fatal deaths. The first tanks that came out which are moving armoured vehicles with cannons on them. The war did not just take place on the ground but also up in the sky with first ever plane's being used to kill people, they were used to come down and shoot people even in blank places because they are moving. They used trenches not standing away from each other twenty yards waiting to be shot at not that trenches are a better idea but at least they can be hidden but running up to the enemy's trench to try take it over isn't that effective either. The weapons and machines and strategy used was for killing and because of it resulted in mass numbers of death.

An Unsatisfied Craving

Have you ever felt like you are never satisfied with something? Never pleased and always wanting more? This is how soldiers who expirement with morphine feel. In the start of the book, Xavier and Elijah say they are never going to try the evil medicine called morphine. As the story goes on and the war gets worse and worse, soldiers begin needing something to lean on to try and get them through the living hell that they are living. " Grey eyes was shaken badly by it, swore it was the gates of hell opening up below us. He hasn't been the same since and is taking more morphine than is wise" (Pg 144). I believe this quote shows exactly why the soldiers use morphine. When Xavier comes home from the war, he is still trying to deal with his craving for morphine. Many soldiers who came back could not kick their craving and eventually became so addicted to morphine that they ended up over dosing  or their heart stops. Morphine is so powerful that they do not administer it in armies or hospitals unless absolutely needed because of the history of the drug.

Blog #2

     Before the war Xavier and Elijah were very close friends. Elijah is slowly learning more english and is becoming more like the white man. He is starting to talk like them and act like the white people. He acts like them by making up different stories that are not true and behaving like them. Xavier hates the white people so he is slowly getting annoyed and falling apart from is friend Elijah. Elijah becomes happy with the with the people he has killed and Xavier begins to see the change in his attitude and he is upset, worried for Elijah. Elijah becomes braver and leaves his post, Xavier worries and says he always does stupid things and always wonders if he will come back or not, This is some of the things showing how war is splitting up two best friends who are slowly growing apart.

Elijah, Grey Eyes, and the Medicine

In the book "Three Days Road' by Joseph Boyden, when Elijah enters the war he meets a fellow soldier that is called Grey Eyes. When Elijah and X first enter the war they stick to themselves but very soon Grey Eyes becomes the first one to really talk to Elijah. Grey Eyes and Elijah sit together to watch camp and start talking. Grey Eyes is obviously comfortable with Elijah because he tells him of the medicine that he uses. He explains to Elijah how the medicine helps and what it does for you. " Elijah is facinated by Grey Eyes use of it. He even goes so far as to watch him when he is in that place" (Pg 65) This is when Elijah is first interested in the morphine and could be some foreshadowing showing he could take some later. I think that Grey Eyes does see Elijah as a friend as he helped Elijah use the morphine the first time. I think that if ELijah wouldn't have became friends with Grey Eyes that he would have never had a chance to try the morphine and Grey Eyes would not be pressuring him into it.

The Teachings Of The Nuns

Throughout the story we learn that all of the characters attended residential schools. Now residential schools are a major part of Canadian history, and quite a dark part to be honest. The  Residential schools came about in the 1880s, they were a method to assimilate young Indians to be like Europeans. Like in the story we learn how they cut the hair of the boys and girls, and how they were not allowed to speak their native language. This actually benefits the story because the characters can speak some English, although some aboriginal words are mixed into the sentence's. The reason that residential schools are mixed into the story are because, it was a real matter that the native people faced. The time period is also highly correct for this situation, and it helped form characters. The people in real life and the people in the story were greatly impacted by these schools, just like how the war impacts them. I feel that residential schools fit in perfectly to this story because even though this story is fictional, many of the events are based on real life making it a very realistic read.

The Sacrifice of Soldiers

     Elijah's encounter with the small girl in the cemetery in Toronto is a very interesting part of the book. (page 248) I feel that this part of the book helps connect the reader more with the sacrifice of soldiers, and all of the lives lost as well as with Elijah's character. 

     For much of the novel Elijah seems selfish and even inhumane but in this section of reading we can see a much more personable version of Elijah. He has a friendly conversation with a small girl, and I think that he helps console her, even if slightly, over her fathers loss. Just telling Elijah about her father may have lightened the load for the girl. I also think that this girl named Suzanne was a large part of Elijah's fervor to get revenge on the Germans for what happened to her father.

     I definitely connected to this section of the novel more than any other part of the novel thus far. When reading this section of the novel you realize the sacrifice of so many soldiers. Not only did they give their own lives for the country but also left loved ones such as spouses and children behind. I think that this part connected to me in this way more than any other part because Suzanne's father had a whole family that he left behind, whereas Xavier and Elijah only left behind Niska and I do not connect with her character at all. This section of reading should make every Canadian proud of what the soldiers of the past have done not only for our country as a whole but for each and every one of us.

The importance of sex

In the novel the author so far has displayed that the two characters Niska and Xavier have sexual desires. I feel as though putting those scenes in the novel were not exactly necessary to include but shows that the characters are human as well. After reading the chapter Seducing (pages 130-135) which was  told in Niskas point of view it honestly was not what I was expecting. Reason being is that in the beginning Niska was trying to avoid the white settled town at all costs and was very reluctant to be among them, which gave me the impression she despised or was scared and un knowing of them. In the chapter she quite literally hunted the white hunter and seduced him and then the reader gets a very explicit idea of what goes down between the two. At the time though I had not known or had any reason to think Niska is bitter toward the white people as she had an enjoyable experience with the hunter. After reading the chapter Betrayal (pages 164-176) it made sense to me as to why Niska has those feeling towards the white people.  I can see how in the event of getting betrayed,tricked and called a "squaw whore" by the man you identified as your mate would make a person bitter. In Xavier point of view i think that having that experience made him more human helped him connect to feeling that I believe he would have lost in the war. So my question to everyone else is whether or not you see importance in including these flashbacks in this novel?

The Full Effect of Residential Schools

Elijah and Xavier both went to residential schools as children. Elijah unlike Xavier adapted to the environment very well. The nuns taught Elijah English which he caught on to very quickly. They eventually regretted this decision due to the fact that he caught on very quickly and he learnt to twist their words around on them. We see this same "adaption" to environment in war. Elijah quickly learns the traits of a solider and begins story telling around the campfire with the others, socializing and mingling. He over exaggerated story's and strayed from the truth but he noticed that, that was what caught the men's attention so he kept on. This is a trait that kept Elijah alive in war. He learnt to fit into wherever he was. Xavier on the other hand was very poor at English and due to this huge language barrier he did not fit in as well as Elijah. Also Xavier dose not like the white man and their customs a beliefs. I believe these are very important character traits to both Elijah and Xavier and have a lot to do with the way they act in everyday life and war . What would it of been like if the boys did not go to residential schools? Would these traits still shine through them? In war and life? 

The "Quotable" novel

In reference to the quote “We all fight on two fronts, the one facing the enemy, the one facing what we do to the enemy.” (pg. 326)
This quote brings the meaning of war and how it is both physically and mentally draining. We read of all the bloody and brutal aspects of war and how painful and tiring it is. War has such a hard effect on both Elijah and Xavier. We being to see how hard war really is on Xavier to bear when Elijah begins to bring back skulls of the men he has killed and begins to enjoy killing men, brutally killing them. This also shows how war affected Elijah. Identity is also very relevant. Xavier begins to notice the change in Elijah's identity. He begins to leave his Cree language and speaks in European tongue frequently, happily and well. In general we learn that every solider in war has to fight two battles. The physical battle against man (man vs. man), and the forever enduring battle against themselves internally (man vs. self). We also learn that war has no sympathy. When you kill someone you can not live in the past or grief will over come you.
“We all fight on two fronts, the one facing the enemy, the one facing what we do to the enemy.” (pg. 326) 

blog #1

     Xavier and Elijah are best friends who are in war together. They do everything together and are always side by side. They are the only two cree people so they stick together. After Xavier and Elijah are out of the trenches Thompson begins teaching them to become snipers. He teaches them the importance of blending in to their surroundings, to lie still and to only take a shot when its a good one. I think Xavier and Elijah are becoming closer friends  by going threw all this because they are spending night and day together doing everything together, and when they are in war Elijah does the spotting and Xavier does the shooting so they can not do one thing without each other.

A Difficult Part

     The part I am referring to is chapter Shakocihew (Seducing) starting on page 130 which is when Niska "Netflix and Chilled" with the French man. This is a touchy subject that many do not want to discuss but it is an important theme of our novel. The reason why such an interesting part was inserted into the book was to show the mistakes that every person can make. You may think that the first person you enter bed with will be the same person you will always go to bed with. Niska realizes this is not always the case as she was left abandoned and wounded by her mistake. You probably won't go as far as summoning spirits to murder your ex but instead you should take it as a learning opportunity. Even if you never went that far with someone, take someone else's mistake as a sign to find the right person for you. 
     Understandably, this book is not for everyone even at the young adult age. It has graphics that doesn't shy to describe. Whether or not you are active, it details what you have to watch for according to consequences. Always remember for every action, there is an equal or opposite reaction. 

Niska

I find that Niskas flashbacks are really boring and very graphic. She talks quite a lot about her Frenchman and what they did together, that is until he betrays her. Niska also talks a lot about residential schools and her father being a Windigo killer. I believe that it's good to have the truth in theses books, but why be graphic with the scenes between her and the Frenchman? I find her flashbacks and stories really hard to get through and I more often than not find myself wondering when we'll be getting to the war stories. I feel that Niska is trying to make Xavier feel a bit better by telling him stories from her past. Maybe by telling him her stories, he'll forget about his.

Sexual times

So in the story between the pages of zero to one hundred eighty, there are about three different sexual scenes in the book. Although we can all agree that the book is a mature read and we aren't children anymore, but the question I have is why? What do these sex scenes even have to do with the story? I guess that when I think about it, they tend to show the different attitudes of the characters and their morals. For instance, Niska was very frightened after the Frenchman said he ruined her spirit. It just goes to show how even people living off the land, and believing in spirits still have desires and fantasies about worldly things. When Xavier found love while at war, the scene was less descriptive and not as disturbing. That also show the difference in character between him and Niska. The scene with Niska and the Frenchman in the church was quite disturbing. I think that it is very sick and wrong to do something like that in a church. That part of the story I did not like to much, until the Frenchman killed himself. I think it was good for him, what a horrible person.  

Elijah's Development

Throughout the novel we follow Elijah's journey through Xavier's recollections of the war. As the story progresses we see Elijah's development from the innocent "little brother" of Xavier to wrapped in the fame from war successes leaving Xavier in the dust, which is a huge jump for the character in a matter of a few chapters. Elijah's reckless behaviour and ignorance throughout the book is damaging to his and Xavier's friendship. The fact that the rest of the soldiers and the higher ranking, think Elijah is a much better soldier bothers Xavier, as it would most people. Friendship is very powerful thing and once its broken nothing will ever be the same. These factors may break their friendship and may be the reason for Elijah disappearance. Ever since they joined the war Elijah has progressed into a completely different mind set and became popular among the "white".

Caught up!

Blogs and comments to this point have been checked....missing several....work to catch up quickly (and with quality comments)! Remember, posts 3 and 4 should not be about the characters. 

Inner thoughts

As I read this book, I think to myself; what is the whole point of war? Yes, in a perfect world all our problems would be fixed by sitting down and talking like sane people. But when you are faced with a certain group of people who kill others based on their religion and belief, you now have a much larger issue. There is no reasoning to this, nor will there ever be because if someone believes so strongly in an idea that they will murder and pillage, you cannot explain why they are in the wrong. Xavier tells himself he kills others for survival. That's what war is, not many people want to risk their lives it these types of situations by choice. We normally do not enjoy killing and try justify ourselves when we are required to. In my opinion there are many other ways to solve conflict than with violence. Sure, I can say we don't need to fight, let's just talk! But this is one opinion, one belief against 7.3 billion others. Yes, one voice can change but not on an issue to this extreme.

Drug Abuse in the War

     "He removes a syringe from his hide bag and injects just a little of the medicine into his arm. Since being wounded in our raid, he has given up fighting the morphine. 'I'm just dabbling with it,' he likes to say with his English accent." (192) This quote is an example of drug use and abuse, a regular theme throughout the novel Three Day Road. The pull of the drug, morphine, is an example of one of the many struggles and battles in any war, but especially in the Great War, where morphine was so out in the open for anybody. The pull of the drug does not seem to do much to either Xavier or Elijah at the beginning of the war despite the fact that it is widely available and offered to them. However, as the novel continues we see Elijah get seriously injured and is forced to take morphine as a painkiller. As a result of this treatment, Elijah gets extremely addicted to the drug. He starts slow but eventually he becomes a full fledged addict and the effects of this drug abuse is wide spread.
     Xavier on the other hand has not taken morphine in the war yet and seems to hate the drug and that Elijah chooses to use it. We do know that Xavier does become very addicted to the drug and uses it once the war is over. I think that the reason Xavier is using the drug now is because he also has a serious injury. The doctors more than likely gave Xavier morphine as a painkiller when they were doing surgery on him. Another way Xavier may have become addicted to morphine is that Elijah slipped a needle into his arm while sleeping, because he thought that using the morphine was a good thing. Regardless of how Xavier came to use the drug, he uses it now and it is probably killing him.

Surviving the war

As time goes on in Three Day Road Xavier learns to accept the fact that he is at war with the Germans and as time goes on he sees his friends and fellow soldiers fall everyday until the day comes when he fires back, he does not miss. Xavier's first kill is a German sniper who has been evading everyone and getting many Canadian kills up and down the lines. After this Xavier understands that they are the enemy and they are always there waiting for a chance to kill him. Further into the war Xavier starts causing more damage to the german machine gun nests and the german front line hitting everything he sets his sight on. Even though Xavier does the hardest shooting Elijah takes the credit making Xavier mad.
I wonder why Xavier himself does not tell Breech and Mccaan of the soldier he has shot and of the machine guns nests he has destroyed. Part of the reason I think is because he doesn't want to be known as a killer even though it would gain him more respect from Breech and Mccann. Elijah even though he tries to show of and brag about what he has done he knows Xavier has always been a better shot and sniper than Elijah.
I now know why and how Xavier loses his leg it is unexpected. I also know what happens to Elijah it is very unexpected. The question i have is what made Xavier lose his mind and do what he did. I would explain but i do not want to spoil the ending.All I have to say to wrap up is that the war took a huge toll on everybody some let it show and some kept it hid until they exploded in the end.

The Sniper

        Elijah and X become the main big snipers they are the two best shots in their platoon and they are both chosen to go and shoot. The two men are very good snipers at the start Elijah is the main sniper and X just spots the hun that they are able to hunt and kill. They are a very good team killing an average of 5 hun a month. X doesn't get very much credit for anything because he isn't the one killing the hun. The one day they both go out with snipers and go to spot hun to shoot. They sit out there for hours and they don't see anything. X is begining to thing that there is no great sniper from the Germans. Elijah and X's main objective is to be better and to be the best snipers around they want to kill this hun sniper so that they will be the best sniper in the while war. The two men are very good snipers because they think of the sniping to be just like hunting. They have to be still and calm and not move they are to kill the other hun which they think are just like animals it becomes a job. They are to kill the other hun and that a order and what the guys want is to be the best snipers. "My rifle is steady on a place just above the rifle poking out from under the corpse and without any more thinking i pull the trigger"(pg 129).  When sunset came one day Elijah wants to shoot his rifle and he finds a cow out in the middle of the field between the two trenches. X does not want him to shoot but Elijah wants to and reassure him they will not be spotted. Elijah shoots the cow and it explodes everywhere then something beside it moves and they hear a bang and Elijah yells in pain, X sees the sniper and shoots and kills him. X has killed the great sniper. They are both happy and they have killed the sniper, they can now be called he best.

Rule of Thirds

     The story includes a lot of information about the number three. Throughout the novel we read about objects being divided by three and even the title of the book is the THREE day road. Many examples from page 245 include the division of the army, the daily routine, and how things happen. Xavier realizes this and begins explaining: "It seems to me that everything these wemistikoshiw do is in threes. They are obsessed by that number. The front line, the support line and the reserve line is just the beginning of it." He goes on to explain further about every working group is split in three, there are three rituals/manitous, and how people die in threes. 
     The reason why everything is about three may be because the Native people believe that when you pass away, it takes three days for your spirit to separate from your body and continue to the spirit world. The European version is much more complicated but simply insists that there are three faces of god. Perhaps the reason why the war is centered around three is because it is symbolizing the journey to the spirit world. Xavier makes a small prayer to Niska, stating that there must be magic in the number and is wondering when he will have to walk the three day road. 

First Impressions

     My first impressions on Three Day Road are not what i expected them to be. I expected the book to be about, mostly at least, about the war not flashbacks to post and prier to the war. It also jumped from two characters in the book so far I have read which gives two view points to better understand what was going on through both of their experiences. I found the reading hard to follow with so many stories told at once to be challenging.

     The scene where the characters are at war, one of the characters' father killing someone that was deemed a windigo, the characters are following a lynx and ended up in a forest fire, memories of one of their aunties, and dealing with the struggles of the characters trying to fit in to Caucasian culture and speaking their language. It affected the pace of my reading to try to keep track of their experiences.


    

   

The "Wendigo's"

          The book "Three Day Road" by Joseph Boyden is a very interesting book, i am on page 46 and the one thing that has stood out to me, was when he brought up the super natural being the "Wendigo". The "Wendigo" is a Mythological being of Algonquian Native Legend in which a human has fed on another human. This has caused them to evolve into something that isnt human, has claws, taller, stronger. This part of the book is very interesting and should be to any who like Mythological beings. In the book the "Wendigo"  comes to be by a small family of Three. The Father who is going out to Hunt, brought his wife and child with him and promised to feed his child. For all the tracks they followed, they all lead no where. eventually it led to the Husbands demise. it left the wife no other choice but to eat the flesh of her husband to survive. The wife then fed the baby, and went back to the town with all the "Food". This eventually led to them to dying in the outcome. i thought this part was very well placed and well told.

The most important impression is the first Impression.

My reason why the first impression is really important is because it matters the most if it is either meeting another person or seeing something for the first time or maybe even the first impression of a book. My first impression of this book was that it was going to be another boring book. However as I read the first couple of pages it changed the way I thought about it and It slowly as I started getting more into the book it became more exciting. There are some parts of the book that i did not like and I wished were put together a bit better. It also gave me a different perspective of world war I.

Questions?

1. Why is there flashbacks used in this novels. 

The reason why I think flashbacks are used in novels is because it is an effective way to tell a story. 

Brothers or not?

While reading the three day road I have noted that there is a lot of differences in the characters Xavier and Elijah. The differences start all the way back when they were children, and their differences in how they were brought up I believe was the root of feeling towards the Wemistioshiw. Elijah went to the residential schools and quickly picked up the way and language of the other people. Which to me would make sense for him to resent and hate the Wemistioshiw, but quite honestly he seems to enjoy the way they do things. the only time I felt he really disagreed was in their medicine but recently found out he tried it despite the fear. Where as  Xavier does not want to accept or integrate into the Wemistikoshiw ways. I believe he resents Elijah for accepting and even participating in the ways of the Wemistikoshiw, Elijah is well liked and even respected by the other men, where as Xavier is more in the shadows. Xavier learns but refuses to learn the language of the Wemistioshiw. I believe we can all agree and say that Xavier cares a lot more for Elijah, you can see this throughout the chapters. For example when they were hunting and there was a forrest fire and Xavier when he woke up first concern was Elijah and he was searching for him swell. However Elijah got himself out without concern for his sleeping "brother". Most recently there has been tension between the two of them when it comes to their places in the group. When Elijah brought up the fact that they maybe separated Xavier seemed torn when Elijah gave off the whole I don't give a shit attitude to be completely honest.

War

Three Day Road


While I was reading a certain part of this novel(66-67), the trenches and how they are described stands out most for me. How deep they are, and moist as well as steepness of these deep trenches. They describe mostly describe them as shallow ditches because that's what they mostly look like. I would feel very upset for the fact of sitting down low against the "earth" like they say, and hoping to not be seen, but feel as safe and quiet as possible as you are able to do. Elijah and Xavier describe in their words as they felt discomfort while being in those trenches, they had no where dry to sit down and sleep nevermind lie down anywhere in there. Nothing was ever comfortable for Elijah and Xavier to wear on their feet because the water was as deep as their knees, and would make walking feel like there was bricks on their feet. These scenes described what War was actually like and how it wasn't a breeze, nor easy to survive through these tragic and rough times. I could not imagine hearing a flare go up in the air and having to hit the dirt so my nose is touching the earth. Very minimum people will step forward and go there and live such a horrifying life like these people have done for many many years. This is more or else reality and something you should take into consideration with thinking how these guys live, and how they go some days or many days lying in these trenches, starving, and sleeping with one eye open at all times. Life would not be fun.

First Impressions

     My first impression of this book can be summed up in three words, I hated it. Three Day Road was simply something that I wouldn't read on my own outside of school. It had one redeeming quality in my eyes which was the fact that it had sections talking about the war. These interested me but seemed to be few and far between off the start. The flashbacks didn't grab my interest at all and the characters did not seem to be people that were interesting in my opinion. To some it may have grabbed their interest because it was a unique story but even with this it did not grab my interest.
     As the story progressed it became much better. Mainly because the setting of most of the story line turned into the duo of Xavier and Elijah in World War 1 but also because the flashbacks began to make much more sense and it seemed that they were placed much better. The flashbacks were used very well to progress the story while not confusing the reader making them wonder if it is past or present. Perhaps the most important was that the characters became more likeable. Their development was great throughout the chapters, especially Xavier and Elijah.

Kane Charnstrom

First Impression

 After reading a few chapter of the novel Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden I could not wait to put it down. The flashbacks at the start of the novel were very confusing to me as I could not follow the novel. I believe the author did not use these flashbacks in an effective way, since it was early in the novel I could not connect to them yet. These confusing flashbacks left me never knowing if it was present or past which I did not like. The flashbacks were not the only thing I did not enjoy. I found the start of the book to be extremely boring, especially when the book was taking place in Moose Factory. There was nothing exciting happening which left me wondering why I was reading the novel. I do not like reading books especially when they are boring and do not grab my attention right away.

 Although the flashbacks were very annoying off the start, they began to make sense as I progressed through the book. Once the book began talking about war and the actions of the trenches it grabbed my attention as I love a good war story. My first impression of Three Day Road was not positive, however I have gotten used to the book and look forward to do the war action. 

Dependent

    The friendship between Xavier and Elijah has been made apparent from the very first chapters of the novel. The two have been best friends since they were just children and have continued to have a bond that has just become stronger over time up to the present when they are in World War 1. It is obvious that they are friends but does Xavier care about Elijah then perhaps Elijah cares for Xavier. I believe that Xavier has made Elijah a part of his identity throughout the years that they have been friends while Elijah still sees him as a good friend he is much more independent. This is ironic as Elijah would not be where he is without the help of Xavier. Xavier taught Elijah the majority of what he knows about hunting, tracking, and especially shooting. Elijah was the dependant one but now it seems that the tables have turned.
  
     A big reason that I really believe this is because when Elijah says that the army might split them up he shows no emotion while Xavier is clearly upset that they would think of doing that. " It will teach you a little about independence . It will give you a chance to make a name for yourself, to grow a little." (Pg. 102). This is when Elijah is telling Xavier that he should prepare himself if they get separated by the military and in the process says this which does not sit well with Xavier. Elijah is implying that Xavier is not his own person, that he depends on him in the military. The fact is not that Xavier is or is not dependent on Elijah but that Elijah is this harsh and rude in saying it to him, someone who is supposed to be his best friend. Another reason that I personally believe that Xavier cares more about Elijah is when Elijah is reckless and doers stupid things Xavier cares a great deal. A great example of this is when both Xavier and Elijah are sitting and they hear a moaning injured German soldier. Elijah jumped down into no mans land to kill him without telling Xavier. Xavier sat there very worried that Elijah wouldn't come back to him.

       I believe that with these reasons and the path that the novel is taking Xavier will soon realize that Elijah is not as great of a friend that he once was and they will begin to drift apart either because they get separated or because events between the two of them cause a fight between the two and will end their long lasting friendship.

Kane Charnstrom 

Mute

In one  part of the book Three Day Road, Xavier talks about how Elijah has become more popular within their battalion because of his marksmanship. Xavier explains how Elijah talks about his "latest exploits" and I believe that Xavier feels that Elijah is being almost egotistical. Xavier mentions how he taught Elijah everything he knows, but he doesn't tell anybody. I think a lot of people feel that they can't voice their thoughts and that could cause a lot of problems with confidence. I know when I don't speak my mind I really regret it, whether it be two minutes later or the next day. I know Xavier doesn't speak english very well but he could've said something to Elijah if he was feeling "invisible". I feel that, eventually, Xavier will have held back many emotions and do something drastic. Holding in these emotions and words can make anybody do stupid things.
On the other side of things, Elijah, I feel, will have let this "fame" get to his head and he will become someone he is not. What that is, I have no clue. At the beginning of the book, before the war, Xavier and Elijah went hunting together with Xavier acting as teacher to Elijah. Elijah may have felt that now that they were at the war it as his time for glory. At first it may have been harmless, but I believe that it will escalate into something much more.

A Brutal War

 Usually, I do not enjoy reading war novels as the history they are writing about is being dipicted incorrectly or a far stretch from the actual truth. We as Canadians are often forgot about in the histories of war, even when our country has sacrificed so much. Joseph Boyden has done a fantastic job describing the Canadians role in World War l, as well as the settings and just how brutal the trenches actually were. In the book the author leaves nothing out about the brutalities of the trenches from mustard gas to literally rotting alive waiting for the enemy. Trenches were flooded, muddy, and unsanitary which meant that if the Germans did not get you the trenches would. Joseph Boyden also does a great job telling the reader how war changes Xavier and Elijah in the book. Even early in the book the characters begin to change, Thompson asks Elijah if he likes to kill, he responds "It's in my blood". Just from this quote I began to realize how what Elijah has expirenced in the war has already changed him. Soldiers are normal people like you and me, so it is nice that an author changes his characters based on the atrocities of war.

 I enjoy how the author described the brutal tactics of World War l and how it changed the characters, as well as how he acuratly depicted Canada's history in the war. It a refreshing change from normal war books. 

The high life.

In the story we meet Xavier, he was in a war incident where his leg was blown off. Now Xavier has a problem, he is stoned on morphine. That's right, he's high on morphine. The morphine contributes as a painkiller. Morphine is a drug deprived of opium that was first marketed in the 1820s. The problem with morphine is that is highly addictive like heroin. Xavier is definitely a different person after the war, he seems to be suffering from some PTSD. The incident where his leg was blown off would have been super painful. Back during WWI there wouldn't have been much for medicine besides morphine. Xavier hated morphine, he thought the needle as being a demon. He watched another soldier use morphine and fall limp into a braindead trance. When Xavier comes home from war he continuously uses morphine. Xavier seems to feel remorse for what he is doing, he knows his aunt sees him doing it. Every time he uses the morphine he goes into a memory from the war. These flashbacks are very interesting and the go deep into his mind and what he is feeling. It is hard to tell what is going through the mind of someone who is on drugs. Are all these flashbacks hallucinations? His condition also brings around the question that will he kick this addiction? It is sad to see all that Xavier has gone through, will he return to sobriety?

The Horrors Of War

In the book "Three Day Road" by Joseph Boyden, he does a good job explaining about what happens in the war. Boyden tells the accounts of two aboriginal men, Elijah and Xavier. When they enter the war they are both scared and dont know what to expect, but once they enter they realise that the war is not a very nice place. "That was their phantom sniper" Elijah says with awe "The one that killed Sean Patrick, he was hunting us too" ( Pg. 129) In this passage Elijah wants to sight in his rifle so he aims at a dead horse on the field. When he pulls the trigger a sniper shoots between them and Elijah cant see. Xavier trains his rifle over the spot and pulls the trigger, killing the phantom sniper. I really enjoyed this pat in the book because it is talking about the war and it is the first time Xavier shows that he can hold his own. What i mean by this is that without Xavier providing cover fire and killing the sniper, Elijah would have probably been shot due to his inability to see and shoot. This part in the book also gives Xavier a better reputation from the fellow Canadians and it seems like they respect him more.

Are We a Team or Not

     In the first chapters of Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden, we are introduced to an inseparable pair, Xavier and Elijah. During the prologue Xavier acts like a teacher or big brother with Elijah, telling him to say quiet throughout the hunt; both of them agreeing that they were best friends. As the story progresses Xavier tells Niska about him and Elijah's journey to volunteer for the Canadian army. As they were sleeping a forest fire, that had been moving their way, caught up to them. Elijah jolts Xavier awake, and takes off for cover, throughout all the confusion Xavier loses Elijah. When Xavier gets to the river after being worried sick and yelling for him, Elijah comes out of the river as though nothing was wrong. This scene, to me, suggests that Elijah didn't care to be worried about Xavier he was just worried about his own safety.
     This event in the book leads me to believe this is foreshadowing the separation of the two. If Elijah just leaves Xavier behind like that doesn't it signify the beginning of their separation? In addition, throughout the book Xavier is left behind in Elijah's shadows because of his fluent English and how the other soldiers in his squadron seem to be drawn to him; leaving Xavier the outcast. As a result of Elijah's fame, Xavier becomes jealous. Xavier had taught Elijah his hunting skills and how to shoot, and there wasn't even a thanks to him for it. Another event causes Xavier to become envious when Elijah gets injured because he had rushed the placement of a machine gun; Xavier finishes placing the gun and pulls Elijah to the trenches safely. Even though Xavier had saved Elijah's life there was still talk of Elijah getting a reward and nothing for Xavier. These events are hurting their friendship and may cause the friendship to die.

First Impression

My first impression of Three Day Road by Joseph Borden is that it is well written. The author does not stay too long on one topic travelling from the past to present leaving you to wonder what is to come in the next chapter. Three Day Road started out by telling of Xavier's past as a child in which he teaches Elijia to hunt and shoot. The book moves on to the future where Xavier has returned from war; he has no leg and has a bullet hole through his upper arm. In this way, the author is good at creating suspense.


What I want to know is when Xavier loses his leg and gets shot in the arm and along with that what happened to Elijah as he has not been heard of except for in Xavier's memories. Sometimes it is funny to see Xavier's and Elijah's point of view to our world because they do not understand how cars work or why planes fly. What I like about the book is that Xavier and Elijah make something of themselves in the military. I think that becoming a sniper helped them gain respect and being a sniper I think they can help out the Canadians more than as just foot soldiers.


I believe that Xavier could become more as a sniper and as a man but there is something holding him back because of this he hides in Elijah's shadow. I predict that at some point in the book Xavier will come out of his friends shadow and be the hero for taking control and making the right decisions. I believe he will do this because all the troops already know he is a better shot than Elijah and the short blonde highlander; he is just not letting himself be the best sniper because he does not like to kill people even if they are the German enemy.

Phantom Sniper

     Elijah and Xavier were out scouting as usual, sniping off targets and making sure the Fritz keep their distance. There was no action that day and as the sun was setting Elijah wanted to determine the accuracy of his rifle. He shot a bloated horse corpse and its organs sprayed the ground. Before Elijah could comment on his skill, a mystery sniper shot back and blew shrapnel into his eyes. It was up to Xavier to deliver a shot of his own. He shot twice where he saw the wisp of smoke and was able to deal the final blow to the enemy.

     From what I read on page 128, it is relevant to the character development that Xavier was finally acknowledged for his expertise in sniping. Even though this is his first kill, he has shown considerable skill throughout competitions. Elijah was the one who absorbed most of the attention but without Xavier he wouldn’t have been where he is right now. Xavier is allowed to take the dead sniper’s rifle and join in the shooting which makes him a much more valuable asset. Everyone in the camp is recognizing Xavier’s talent and in turn Xavier is ready to put out more effort and helping clean up the Germans in a more violent manner. Rather than set up and dig tunnels, Elijah and him are scouting and sniping any possible targets.

     Elijah is also proud and is surprised that Xavier got the kill instead as he exclaims,”We will get you a souvenir of your first great kill.” Of course, Xavier is squeamish about murdering people and doesn’t want to approach someone who was shot through the head. Soon, he discovers tricks to keep his food from coming up and he slightly becomes stone cold in his thinking. He learns that it is either kill or be killed so he chooses the former option. I believe Xavier will continue to develop a stern look on life and even as he tells his story, there is an obvious way how he acts differently between the past and the present.

The Power of the Drug

     In the book Three Days Road we hear that Xavier has an addiction to morphine. This seems odd because he is so against it when Grey eyes is addicted to it, and when Elijah is in need of it. We know he loses his leg in the war but we do not hear how yet. We know that Elijah gets killed and has tried the morphine on his trip to the war. Xavier doesn't like what the drugs do to people and believes it fogs their mind. Xavier is battling Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and many times when this happens the people turn to drugs and or alcohol. "Many people suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or operational stress injuries (OSI) also face the added challenge of an addiction. In fact, 36% to 52% of PTSD sufferers also abuse alcohol. Research also indicates that 34.4% of those with PTSD also had a substance use disorder." (Addictions and Mental Health Ontario) This tells me that Xavier isn't just addicted to morphine he is using it as a coping mechanism for his PTSD. Seeing the things he saw in the war will affect him the rest of the life how he copes with it is the question. He will have to ask himself to start getting back to a norm.I don't think Xavier is an addict just because he can be one, but an addict because it numbs his mental and physical pains.

Cannibalism

In the book Three Day Road Niska describes her father and his ways of being chief. As well she tells us about his job as a windigo. His job was described in depth. He is a medicine man and helps people find game to hunt as well he takes care of people who have become cannibals. Niska is very young when she learns of things from her father. She would have been no older than 12 when she witnesses for the first time her father disposing of cannibals in her very home. I personally couldn't imagine seeing someone be killed in the hands of another person, never mind that person being my father and see him do the same to a young child. On the other hand I also could not imagine someone eating another human. Everyone gathering around the  family table and the dad missing and you ask "mom wheres dad" as you take another bite of your meat from your plate and your mother replies " in your tummy".  What would you ask them to pass you if you wanted more? This reminds me of the movie city slickers. "Hey can you pass the Phil? Yum this sure is a good meal thanks to Phil" (City Slickers). Niska wasn't affected by what happened, she learned from it and wanted to do the same in the future. This part of the book was very disturbing to me.

The Resistent Canadians

       The book Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden is a different book then what i am used to reading the topics it covers from being into World War 1 and also natives having to go to residential schools and then fighting to stay alive in the woods on their own with very little food and game to hunt. I did not mind the book at all I’m very interested in the scenes where there is fighting and they go into depth about the war and the activities that took place and the different ways they used to fight each other. “When twenty or thirty minutes pass and i begin to think that Thompson is mad, I make out the sound of men sneaking about below. I can hear them whispering, can hear the step of boots all around where I’d slept this morning. Thompson gives the nod and we set and throw the bombs in at the same time. They explode in a series of concussions. Men Scream”(pg 75 Boyden). I Like this passage because it shows that Canadians in World War 1 and all wars did the unthinkable. We are known to do whatever it takes to get through anything and get the job done. Canadians stuck it through the worst and put their lives at risk so we are able to live ours. The book has really shown me what the war was like and what the canadians really had to go through and thats why im interested in the war scenes because the jobs and tasks they were made to do and put through just to fight and just to get through to the end so we can have our freedom.

A New War to Fight

     There is a strange culture with a strange language, fighting a strange war and you're in the middle of it. In the book Three Day Road, the First World War is portrayed in a new way and from the perspective of a First Nations soldier. Xavier Bird is of Cree blood, but is also a Canadian soldier fighting overseas in Belgium and that makes him different than other soldiers.

     I find that seeing the war in the perspective of a First Nations man is a great way to keep the novel interesting. The fact that Xavier is struggling with the fact that he has and will continue to have to kill men in the war brings the intensity of the book to a higher level. The reader can feel what he feels and can empathize with him as he becomes a sniper and continues to work through the things he must do (pg. 88). It seems that Xavier is somewhat unsure of what and for whom he is really fighting for but regardless of that he continues to fight in the war. I think this shows Xavier's bravery and selflessness, which is shown throughout the book. I feel like Xavier thinks that the war is senseless killing of human life but as he is in the war for a longer period of time he begins to become desensitized to the killing. The war had the same effect on Xavier as it does to many men, and it does not seem to matter the race or beliefs of the soldiers. The war so often desensitizes soldiers and has other long lasting effects such as PTSD and addiction. 
     Despite the differences of a First Nations soldier and any other soldier, they all are deeply affected by war. Xavier may have been different then the other soldiers but I think that by the end of the novel Xavier will be affected by the war and be not much different than any other soldier in the war.

Fight the Pull

Elijah has just told Xavier about the first time he tried morphine. He is embarrassed I feel for betraying himself and giving into the pull of drug abuse. He was so sick and desperate that he lost the respect for his body. As he tells Xavier this, X isn’t happy. X hated this addictive poison for what it did to people. Their spirt left and they were no longer whole. Elijah knew what he did was wrong, but when people are desperate they will do anything to help their situation. “Elijah fights the fear by himself, and then just decides to let his head float away.” (127) Elijah has a battle within, he may feel no pain but the fear is very real. Perhaps even in his state he remembers what his morals are and fights the pull of the drug, but it’s too strong and just lets his self go.