What are your thoughts and feelings after reading chapter 5 of Medicine River by Thomas King?

Both Eddie and Erleen are in positions where others might turn away from them in chapter 5. Eddie threw a knife at his friend; even though the switchblade wasn't open, it still caused a rift between them. Erleen is accused of shoplifting cosmetics that are in her bag. This ultimately doesn't have any impact on the friendship between John and Eddie or Rose and Erleen.

This shows how Will sees relationships. His mother's relationship with Erleen was happy and stable. Any problem between them would be confusing. However, the relationship between Eddie and John that Harlan is trying to fix isn't as reliable. Will reasons that because the two are cousins, they can't have a good relationship. Family members don't have good relationships in his world. When Eddie and John make up through Harlan, however, he has to consider that sometimes things can work out within families.

One thing that might stick out to a reader of this chapter is forgiveness. It's necessary to make almost any relationship work—whether with family or friends. A person reflecting on the chapter might think about times that they've had to forgive a friend or family member; they might consider times when they've needed forgiveness. For some people, there is a difference between how they forgive and ask for forgiveness from family versus from friends.

What do you relate to in chapter 6 of Medicine River?

When Will lies to the woman on the plane about his father's identity, he's exposing a difficulty that his lack of paternal support has created for him. Because he doesn't know almost anything about his father, he's created a variety of stories about the man in his head. He could be the president of a company, someone he passes on the street, or anyone else, really.

Not knowing his father has left such a large gap in Will's life that in many ways, he doesn't feel that he knows himself. He doesn't know what parts of him are from his mother's heritage and what parts of him are from his father's. He'll never be able to find an answer for that.

Even for people who know their parents and have close relationships with their families, the question of who you are as an individual and which aspects of your personality come from your heritage and upbringing often arise. In this way, it's easy for a reader to relate with Will's struggle to come to terms with the disparate parts of himself. Anyone who's ever wondered who they were and what it means to be themselves can probably find aspects of that in Will's actions—though his decisions are often more extreme.

What are your thoughts or feelings about chapter 7 in Medicine River?

Naturally, you will have your own personal reflection and thoughts on chapter 7, but the following ideas may help you compose your own ideas.

In this chapter, we learn that Harlen and Will first met at Will's mother's funeral. We also learn that Harlen was the one who encouraged Will to move back home and start his own business. At first, Will rejected this idea, but he eventually came around. When Will decided to move back home, he didn't call Harlen; however, when he got off of his flight, Harlen was waiting for him.

Will reflects back on this moment and wonders how long Harlen must have been standing there waiting at the terminal. Although Will sometimes feels like it is hard to be Harlen's friend, he recognizes what a good friend he has been to him. He was there for him when he arrived at the airport. He was there to help him get his business started. He was there for him as his first customer. Again and again, Harlen has gone above and beyond to lend a helping hand to Will.

Learning the history of Will and Harlen's friendship may inspire readers to reflect on their own friendships. Many readers may even have a friendship that mirrors that of Will and Harlen. Additionally, seeing everything Harlen has done to be a good friend may inspire readers to be a better friend themselves.

In this chapter, Will is definitely trying to be the friend that Harlen deserves. When Harlen doesn't show up to a wedding, Will knows something must be wrong, since this is very out of character. When he tries to find out where Harlen is, Bud says that "everybody thought you knew already" since they are such good friends. Perhaps hearing this makes Will feel bad that he didn't know where Harlen was. Whatever the case, Will proves himself to be a good friend when he finds Harlen at home and proceeds to take care of him while he is sick.

Overall, there is much you can learn about friendship in this chapter.

What are your thoughts on chapter 8 of Medicine River?

Naturally, you will have your own personal reflection and thoughts on chapter 8, but the following ideas may help you compose your own ideas.

In this chapter, we discover information about Will’s past relationship with Susan. He met Susan through his work, and it seemed to be going fairly well. They went out once or twice a week, and she started moving in some of her belongings to his place. From what we can infer, Susan seemed to make Will happy. Unfortunately, Will’s happiness did not last long.

One night when he called Susan, her child answered the phone and revealed that her mom, Susan, couldn’t talk, but her dad was available. We can tell this was clearly a shock to Will because he then referred to himself as Susan’s “business associate” instead of a man she was dating. Will was understandably bothered by this and tried to call back multiple times that night, but every time the line was always busy.

Learning this information about Will’s past relationship provides insight on how Will must be feeling right now with his current relationship with Louise. Susan clearly hurt him, and now he is going through the same pain with Louise. Although Will does not outright admit this, Harlen continually calls him “depressed” throughout the chapter. At the end of the chapter, Will is laying in the dark with “the phone ringing busy in [his] ear.”

Sadly, it seems that the past may be repeating itself. Since the author revealed that the line was busy in his past and current relationship, we know that this has significant meaning to Will. Some readers may be able to relate to the past repeating itself. Additionally, this may inspire readers to reflect on their own past and current relationships. Many people will find that they are able to empathize with the pain Will experiences in his relationships.

What are your thoughts on chapter 9 of Medicine River?

Naturally, you will have your own personal reflection and thoughts on chapter 9, but the following ideas may help you compose your own ideas.

In this chapter, we are introduced to a new character, Clyde Whiteman. In high school, Clyde was a star basketball player, and everyone “figured he’d go off and become famous.” Unfortunately, Clyde couldn’t seem to keep himself out of trouble and was never able to fulfill this dream. At first, Harlen chalks it up to “bad luck,” but by the end of the chapter, Harlen is no longer making up excuses for Clyde’s actions. Clyde knows he is disappointing so many people, including himself, but he can’t seem to change. Every time he gets out of jail, he thinks that this time is “going to be different.” However, each time is always the same.

Hearing Clyde’s story may cause some readers to think about if luck actually exists or if we create our own luck through the choices we make. Additionally, most people can relate to the feeling of disappointing someone. In this sense, many people will be able to relate to Clyde.

Another important part of this chapter is learning about the stories Will’s mom used to tell him and his brother. Each time she would tell them a story, she would never use Will’s father’s name, but she would refer to him as “someone.” The reader can infer that Will’s mom doesn’t use his father’s name because it may be too painful for her. In life, many people avoid talking about experiences or memories that cause them pain. In this way, some readers will be able to relate to Will’s mom.

What are your thoughts or personal connections to chapter 10 of Medicine River?

Naturally, you will have your own personal reflection and thoughts on chapter 10, but the following ideas may help you compose your own ideas.

In this chapter, it is South Wing’s first birthday. In preparation for her birthday party, Harlen goes with Will to find her a present. As Harlen is talking to Will, he refers to South Wing as Will’s “daughter” and tells him he should “probably get married” to Louise, but Will insists that this is not what he wants. Eventually, they end up going to Granny Oldcrow’s house to find South Wing a present, and she also refers to South Wing as Will’s daughter and questions him as to if he loves her and Louise. It is at this moment that Will thinks to himself that he is “going to drown [Harlen] slow.” When they get to the birthday party, Louise and Will realize that they both got South Wing the same exact present. The chapter ends with South Wing crying in the middle of the night and Will getting up to take care of her.

This chapter may incline readers to think about what it means to be a father. Although Will is not biologically South Wing’s dad, he loves her and takes care of her. At the end of the chapter, he changes her diaper and reflects on the day she was born. His actions seem like something a father would do. It is also important to take note of the fact that he got her the same exact present as Louise, South Wing’s mother. Additionally, readers may reflect on why it frustrates Will when people call South Wing his daughter or put pressure on his relationship with Louise. Perhaps he does want to be South Wing’s dad, but it seems unattainable in his eyes.

What are your thoughts or personal connections to chapter 11 of Medicine River?

Naturally, you will have your own personal reflection and thoughts on chapter 11, but the following ideas may help you compose your own ideas.

In this chapter, we are introduced to Harlen’s brother, Joe. Everyone seems to think that Joe is a great guy with interesting stories, yet Harlen seems to have a tense relationship with him. When Will questions Harlen on why he doesn’t “seem to get on too well with [Joe],” he responds by saying that they are “just different.”

Both Harlen and Will seem to have tense relationships with their brothers. Additionally, both James (Will’s brother) and Joe seem to be very adventurous, considering they have been all over the world. This may cause readers to reflect on why it may be difficult to have a good relationship with someone that is different from you. Also, readers may wonder if Will and Harlen have a strained relationship with their brothers for a reason besides just being so different. For the readers that have siblings, it may incline them to reflect upon their own relationship with their brother or sister.

At the end of the chapter, Joe convinces Harlen and Will to climb the trestle bridge. When they get to the top of the bridge, Joe jumps off into the water while Harlen and Will climb back down. This moment seems to bond Harlen and Will with an understanding for one another. This may inspire readers to think about if people tend to gravitate towards individuals that are similar to themselves.

What are your thoughts or personal connections to chapter 12 of Medicine River?

Naturally, you will have your own personal reflection and thoughts on chapter 12, but the following ideas may help you compose your own ideas.

In this chapter, we meet another new character, Lionel. Lionel and Harlen both come into Will’s studio, and all three of them end up chatting over coffee and snacks. While they are chatting, Will learns that Lionel knew his father. He tries to find out more about how they know each other, but his questions are pushed aside each time. As they continue their conversation, we learn that Lionel travels all over the world telling stories about Indians because people seem to be very curious about Indian ways. After they are done chatting, he invites Will over to his house to hear more stories. Will takes him up on his invitation, and Lionel tells him that he thinks it is crazy that “people [are] living in the past.”

This chapter may incline readers to think about why people enjoy hearing about the past. Additionally, it may cause readers to question if it is healthy to live in the past. Will constantly tries to get more information about his past when it comes to his father, but he never gets the answers he wants. This may cause readers to wonder if Will would let his past go if he could finally get answers about who his father really was.

What is your personal reflection on chapter 13 of Medicine River?

Naturally, you will have your own personal reflection and thoughts on chapter 13, but the following ideas may help you compose your own ideas.

In this chapter, Bertha joins a dating service. When Will learns of this, he plants the idea in her mind that Harlen would be a good match for her. At first, she thinks this idea is humorous; however, Bertha and Harlen do start spending more time together. Will meddling in Bertha and Harlen’s business is very out of character. This may leave the reader questioning why he chose to do this. It also may incline readers to wonder if it is acceptable to meddle in others personal affairs, even for their own benefit.

Additionally, in this chapter, we learn more about Will’s past with Susan. Susan kept delaying leaving her husband, but she finally found the courage to do so. After she left her husband, Will was under the impression that they would be together. However, when he came home, Susan had “collected her things, and left.” This helps the reader better understand the pain Will must have gone through. Knowing this information, the reader may question if his past experience dictates how he is in his current relationship with Louise.

Harlen and Bertha both put pressure on Will to marry Louise, but he insists this is not what he wants. When Louise brings this up, Will states that he “trie[s] to stay away from talk like that.” This may incline readers to believe that Will acts like he doesn’t want to marry Louise because he wants to avoid being hurt again. It may also incline readers to reflect on their own personal relationships and their defense mechanisms in them.