Fleur

How complicit is Pauline in the deaths of the men at Kozka’s Meats? Cite at least three examples from the text and considers Pauline’s role as an unreliable narrator to support your argument.

What do you think the source of Fleur’s powers is? And as the story is at least partially about different projections of female power, what is the source of Pauline’s powers?

Most of “Fleur” takes place in 1920. Do some research on the history of Chippewa tribes during this time. How does the story reflect its setting? How might the story change if it were set in the present?

At the end of the story, others wonder about the father of Fleur’s baby. Choose one theme from the story and describe how Erdrich’s presentation of that theme would be affected if either Misshepeshu or one of Fleur’s assailants was confirmed to be the father. 

What is the role different conceptions of male and female power play in the story? What does Louise Erdrich say about that power?

The beginning and end of “Fleur” describe Fleur in relation to Lake Turcot, and the middle describes what happens to her in Argus. What impact does that structure have on the way the story is read? Why did Erdrich choose that structure?

Both water and blood figure prominently in the text. What role do they play? What do they symbolize?

Shapeshifting is a motif in the text. What role does shapeshifting play in Native American culture and in Chippewa culture in particular? What role does it play in “Fleur”? Cite at least three examples from the text.