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Geeshik is timid and poor, and she often is seemed to be in the background of events. She is a single woman who prefers being alone. She is a wise woman with wise thoughts, despite her quiet demeanor. Geeshik is significant throughout this story because she encourages Shaawano in making the choice to create The Drum. She believes it is a smart option, but he needs to take it slowly in order to complete it.

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“Geeshik sat there so quietly that he began to wonder if she’d ever been listening at all. Then she rustled a little in her chair. Her voice came out a whisper, but her words were clear, “Just do as she tells you” (p. 160).

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Regarding Shaawano's separation from his wife and their child, Shaawano crafted the popular drum. His daughter encountered him in a dream and told him to do so. When Shaawano's ex-wife was attacked by wolves, Anaquot ended up throwing the older girl into the angry pack of wolves in order to rescue herself and her daughter. Shaawano's marriage was unsustainable, but he maintains his strength when attempting to face reality.

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“Afterward, my grandmother lay on the rough boards of his floor, for how long he did not know. Tears leaked out of the corners of his eyes and ran down the sides of his face and puddled in his ears. His girl had visited from the other side of life, but though he wanted to desperately join her, he knew that her visit was meant expressly to give him a reason not to die yet” (p. 155).

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Character #1 (Shaawano) shows this motif by : 

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Character #1 (Shaawano) shows this motif by : 

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Shaawano experiences his past life, his daughter, who spoke to him through a dream and then told him to create a sacred drum. His layout of the drum, which includes a painted yellow line along the top, was influenced by mysterious visions. The drum helped resemble those who passed on, which helped heal those who were still living.

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“He saw his little girl. She was alive and whole once again…. The painful terror frozen in his chest turned to water. Then she spoke. “I know where they put the trees for the drum” (p. 154).

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Shaawano, Benard, and Faye show this motif by :

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Shaawano, Benard, and Faye show this motif by :

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The most obvious connection to me is the drum. The drum connects most of the characters because Shaawano made it for his daughter and wife. Benard is connected because he knows the songs and the stories, and eventually it ends up with him. Faye helps return the drum to the reservation.

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These connections are important because :

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These connections are important because :

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It's significant because several of the characters' journeys through getting past their misery and suffering are driven by the drum, which ultimately makes them continue to live after their pain. Since the drum reaches Benard after two centuries, it still brings people together, which is what makes Native American culture very unique.

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“That's what a drum is all about - it gathers people in and holds them" (p. 221).

“With the drum back, there is a good feeling here. People have come together around it. I am surprised” (p. 268).

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Throughout the story, the Wolves show and demonstrate adversity. Many of the characters in the book are dissatisfied with their lifestyles and would like to make changes. The quote demonstrates that wolves embrace and live their lives. They don't hang around wishing they could be anyone else; they work with what they've got.

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The Wolves' are important because they seem to be attempting to tell us a lesson. We must try to handle the battles that are thrown our way and move on with our lives; just like the wolves did.

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“The wolves accept the life that they are given. They do not look around and wish for a different life, or shorten their lives resenting the humans, or even fear them any more than is appropriate. They are efficient. They deal with what they encounter and then go on. Minute by minute. One day to the next” (p. 120).

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The novel takes you on a journey that follows a path similar to the one taken by characters in the story. It begins in the present with Faye but then there is a death. The novel journeys through the stages of grieving and healing like the characters in the book.

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My theme is significant since Faye and Old Shaawano isolated themselves from everyone as a result of the losses they experienced. They were guided in their process of healing by the pounding of the drum. The rhythm of the drum could be compared to the tempo of life, and those who have died don't get lost because of the beat in the drum.

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Character #2 (Benard) shows this motif by :

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Character #2 (Benard) shows this motif by :

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This is demonstrated when Benard spoke to the judge, he explains how the drum draws everyone closer. Benard creates a connection between the present and past drum ceremonies. He enriches himself in the healing and also the sorrow that the drum emitted.

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“We still have sorrows that are passed to us from early generations, those to handle besides our own, and cruelties lodged where we cannot forget” (p. 116).

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“But those were not just flowers, not just vines, not, as I said, little beads. Those little spirits were his arrogance for all to see. Filth and brilliance. They were Simon Jack inside out” (p. 182).

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The spirits made the people happy and they were healed, this couldn’t have happened without the gathering of the drum. The story says they looked up to the clear sky and looked for the rain. The drum was a closure of their loved ones death and also a chance to reunite with them.

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“Life will break you. Nobody can protect you from that, and being alone won't either, for solitude will also break you with its yearning. You have to love. You have to feel. It is the reason you are here on earth. You have to risk your heart. You are here to be swallowed up" (p. 274).

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It shows that even after a loved one's death you can still find happiness. It proves that through the struggles we can keep moving forward with their lives. The drum set them free from the hurting and the pain. It gave a new beat to their lives.