Discussion Topic

Significant memories of Will's family in Medicine River that influence his personal growth and understanding of life

Summary:

Significant memories of Will's family in Medicine River that influence his personal growth include his mother's resilience, his father's absence, and the communal support he received. These experiences shape his identity and understanding of relationships, community, and belonging.

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In Medicine River, what significant memories does Will have about his family that influence his personal growth?

One important memory that Will has about his mom has to do with her and Erleen. Specifically, the memory involves what happened to Erleen during a shopping trip. Erleen is accused of stealing. Erleen maintains her innocence, and Will’s mom appears to take her side even though Will seems to imply that Erleen was, indeed, shoplifting.

The memory seems to have taught Will about the importance of friendship and loyalty. You might argue that the memory of Rose and Erleen’s friendship informs Will’s relationship with Harlen. As with Erleen, Harlen doesn’t always act with the greatest amount of forbearance or consideration. Yet despite his somewhat annoying tendencies, Will sticks by him.

As for James, you might want to discuss how Will’s memories of his brother help make him a complicated person. As a grown-up, Will comes off as mostly good and honorable. His integrity is reinforced by his attentiveness to...

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Susan and Louise. Yet Will’s memories of James demonstrate that Will was not always such a good person. Will has engaged in bad behavior, like when he, James, and another boy played a mean trick on a girl with a developmental disability.

As for memories of his dad, you might want to think about how Will’s lack of personal memories of his father inform his personal growth and life in general.

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In Medicine River, what significant memories of his mother, father, and James contribute to Will's understanding of his personal growth, family, and life?

Will Sampson’s important family memories in Medicine River are focused on his mother, Rose, and his brother, James, because he did not know his father while he was growing up. By the time period in which the novel is set, Rose has died, and Will’s memories are sometimes prompted by returning to the community for her funeral. Will’s memories of Rose are also stimulated by reading letters that she had exchanged with her parents. Will recalls episodes with James that reveal the immaturity of the two boys and show the adult Will as more compassionate.

Will’s memories of growing up off the Blackfoot reservation with his mother are connected to his desire to learn more about the Native side of his heritage, to which he had little access as a child. He recalls his mother as a person of integrity and a loyal friend, recalling how she vouched for a friend who was accused of shoplifting. This memory strengthens his resolve to be a steadfast friend, thus growing closer to Harlan, who increasingly fills the brother role.

Both his father’s absence from his life and his lack of knowledge of the man are influential in Will’s desire to be a father, as he assumes this role in the life of Louise Heavyman’s daughter, although he is not the girl’s biological father.

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