Final Thoughts

I think that this book has allowed me to understand the conditions on the battlefield. Too often in media is war portrayed as a gruesome fight between two countries. We are constantly told of the casualties, but never really cared about the people who lost their lives. After reading "Three Day Road," I understand the plights of the soldiers. However, I found it interesting that we would be introduced to their lives outside of battle. They dine at restaurants and chat among each other. It dawned on me that we were no different than the ones fighting for our lives. The soldiers are people, they have names. In a few years, one of our friends could be one of the countless many fighting overseas. Having had a glimpse into their lives, I cannot look away now. I feel nothing but compassion for those touched by the war.

Destination

An amazing journey has come to an end. As I flipped to the last page, I couldn't help but recall the emotional moments in "Three Day Road." Boyden, in under 400 pages, has managed to create a piece of work that I believe will last for a long time. By alternating between the point of view of the characters and the timeline, the author has effectively laid out his story so that the readers' experience is far from disappointing. The questions wrapped up nicely, such as the reason why Niska was expecting Elijah when she saw Xavier. The sentimental moments, such as a characters' death or glory, will forever play in my mind like a movie, as Boyden's language was both descriptive and fluent. I highly recommend it to anyone, and thank my friend and teacher for introducing such a coherent piece of literature to me.

The Number Three

At one point in the story, Xavier makes an interesting note about the white man and the number three. He wonders of our fascination of this number, as he notes that we have a group of three for nearly everything. We have three lines of defense in our armies, and three ranks of war (infantry, cavalry, and artillery). Perhaps the most significant use of the number may also be its origin. Our religion is based off of three beings: the father, the son, and the holy spirit. When I was reading this part, it made me wonder about the significance of the title. The three day road is a journey that one takes when he/she is near death. To some degree, we could say that Xavier is on the three day road. His morphine addiction has become so grave that one could say that he is near death. I wonder if Niska will be able to somehow bring Xavier back from his descent.

Drugs

We all know that drugs can bring about devastating effects, but not many have been influenced by their effects. Witnessing the effects firsthand may have more of an impact than simply reading about them. However, Boyden writes with such fluency that his words seem to paint an accurate image of the effects of war. We are introduced to a morphine addiction through Grey Eyes, who is beginning to influence Elijah. Grey Eyes' addiction has reached the point where he steals morphine from the medics. He almost seems dead until he abruptly coughs back to life. Although Elijah's morphine addiction seems mild at first, he is beginning to show some signs that Grey Eyes had shown. He began asking the medic for some morphine, and left angry when he did not get what he wanted. Elijah's actions make me worry about his downfall. We have connected with him through most of the story; the thought of him meeting a pathetic end evokes sadness from me.

Warfare

We are told of the conditions that frontline infantry had to suffer through. The gruesome images of war are often from the battlefront, where most of the fighting occurs. However, the untold stories of some go unheard. For example, a sniper's point of view of war may be drastically different than a normal soldier's. In their sniping post, Elijah and Xavier are immersed in an almost calm atmosphere. They lie still while peering through the scope of the rifle, drastically different from the chaos of constant shelling. I think Boyden is trying to paint an image of war that is not filtered by the media. War can be terrifying, but the calm moments definitely outweigh the tense ones. During their time in the trenches, Elijah and Xavier are calm, opposed to the frantic nature that we associate war with. Boyden does well to show his audience a realistic view on warfare.

Assimilation

As I was reading through the novel, I came across the notion of assimilation and acceptance into a group. Elijah's popularity is constantly growing as he spends time in the military. Xavier's does not. He dons the role of the unsung hero. The two Cree snipers go on missions together, but when they come back, the stories told are of Elijah's sharp aim; none notice Xavier's cunning tactics. It was not until Xavier proved himself in the competition that his fellow comrades started respecting him. It makes me wonder why Elijah was accepted into the group much before Xavier was. Perhaps it was the stories of Elijah's sharpshooting. Are we generally attracted to people who can do great things? However, maybe assimilation is not always best. Xavier notes that Elijah has been speaking in English more than Cree now. It seems as if he is starting to lose some of his heritage. Perhaps I am misreading the signs, but the topic of assimilation was made clear in the past few chapters.

Personal Thoughts About the Novel

I thought that it would be relaxing to deviate from the plot of the book and focus more on the structure. "Three Day Road" excellently uses descriptive and fluent language to accurately describe the conditions that Xavier and Elijah had to live through. One of the first noticeable feature of the novel is the use of native language. Such words add a level of depth to the novel, and help the reader picture the native culture. One example I found particularly well written was the smoky ash and rain of fire. Boyden truly focuses on painting a vivid image in the readers' mind. It was as if I could feel the searing ash that fell over Xavier and his relief when he dived into the water. Many books that I have read have tried to capture my attention, but none have as "Three Day Road" has. The description of the woman becoming a wendigo created a dark atmosphere in which it felt like evil was present in the room I was reading the book. Her bloodcurdling screams and sudden silence sent chills throughout my body. Boyden has written a novel that I find reluctant to place down.

Currently, we've been introduced to few characters via flashbacks. Niska, Xavier, and Elijah, three aboriginal people, and McCaan, Grey Eyes, and Fat, soldiers who fought alongside Xavier and Elijah in the war. Currently, we are introduced to two very different cultural groups. Perhaps their differences may conflict later in their recap of the war. The story moves from different point of views, beginning with Niska, and currently through the eyes and memory of Xavier. In the real world, Xavier is suffering from a morphine addiction. However, in his story, the main conflict is their surviving of the war.

3 Day Road, A First Glance

For the Canadian novel study, the book our group chose is "Three Day Road" by Joseph Boyden. From what I know so far, it is a book which recalls the stories of 2 aboriginal people, Niska and Xavier. I chose this book partly because one of my friends recommended it, but also because the brief excerpt at the back of the book interested me. It had rather high ratings from many book review websites, so I hope the book lives up to my expectations. I hope to feel sympathy for the characters, and be exposed to more engaging language. Perhaps this book will help me understand how soldiers coming back from war re-assimilate into society. I also wonder how people deal with struggles such as the loss of a loved one and exposure to abandonment. I wonder if I can connect Xavier's current situation with one of my own. So far I know that Xavier's friend is presumed dead or missing. How would I deal with losing a friend or a family member? Xavier thought he had lost both his aunt and his friend. Perhaps through his experiences, I, too, will learn how to deal with the problem of death.