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.