Louise Erdrich’s “The master butchers singing club”, or the construction of American ethnicity

R e is ll de Esmdios No eam e ica11o s, 11 .º 11 (2 006) , pp . 13 - 24 LOUISE ERDRICH'S THE MASTER BUTCHERS SJNGING CLUB, OR THE CONSTRUCTION OF AMERICAN ETHNICITY SILVIA M ARTÍ NEZ FALQUINA Uni e si y o Za agoz a A e he success o Na ional Book Awa d inalis The Las Repo on h e Mi acles a Li le No Ho se (2001 ), Louise E d ich, o Chippewa1 a nd Ge man Ame ican descen , leads us back o he immig an side o he hc i age in h e eigh h no el. Published in 2003, The Ma s e Bu che s Singing Club akes place in he yea s be ween he wo Wo ld Wa s, hen beyond o 1954, and i deals wi h he mig an expe ience and he mee ing o he Old Wo ld wi h he New. Al hough all o E d ich's wo k s a e poli ical in a mo e o Ie ss di ec way, The Mas e Bu che shows a no ably solid his o ical ex u e, in cluding no only so ne Na i e Am e ican e e enc es like h e Ghos Dan ce o he ma ssac e o Wounded Knee, bu a lso , and mo e signi ican l y, he wa s in Eu ope and hei implica ions o he Ame i cans. The no el is a good example o he a icula ion o Ame ican e hni ci y in e ms b oade han he Na i e Ame ican iden i y ha p edomina es in E d ich 's o he wo ks, w hi ch p oblema i zes he Na i e Ame ican ca ego y a nd any s ic labels o e hnic de ini ion in gene al. In ac , e en hough mos o he c i ica! e e ences o E d ich's ex s ha e concen a ed on he a icula ion o Na i e elemen s, and on hose no els whe e he Na i e compone n! is mo e ou s anding, E d ich has epea edly exp essed he claim o be co nside ed no jus a Na i e w i e bu an Ame ican w i e capable o a ic ul aling he co mpl ex i y ' Ou o hc h ee enns ha desig na c his Na i e Ame ican ibe loca ed on he wo sides o he Ame ican-Canadian bo de , Chippewa and Ojibwe a e o iginally Wes e n, wh e eas Anishinabc is h e way hc people belong in g o his g o up adi iona ll y c e ed o hem se l es. Al hough he h ee ca n be ound in E d ich 's e e ences. 1 us e he onc ha mos commonly appca s in he w i ing. 14 Sil ia Ma ínez Fa/quina and ichness o he Ame ican expe ience. As she con i ms wi h The Mas e Bu c he s Singing Club, E d ich's ision o e hnic and cul u al ela ions a a ime when he in e ac i e o ces o na ionalism and globaliza ion u gen ly need ede ini ion h a e also made he a con empo a y w i e o wo ldly esonances. In Beyond E hnici y, We ne Sollo s no es he ambigui y i nh e en in he concep o e hnici y, which is used, on he one hand, o e e o he dis inc i e elemen s o a pa icula ace o na ion, ac ing as a de ining ca ego y pa allel o age, sex, eligion o class, and acco ding o which ali indi iduals wi h no excep ion belong o an e hnic g oup (24-25). In clea con as wi h his usage, e hnici y also keeps i s o iginal meaning ela ed o paganism, i e e s o powe ela ions and is in e p e ed «as o he , as nons anda d, o , in Ame ica, as no ully Ame ican» (25), he e o e, as a quali y o ali g oups excep o he dominan . Following Sollo s, I a gue ha i is p e e able o adop he i s de ini ion o e h ni ci y, acco ding o which ali cul u al g oups, dominan o no , a e e h ni c, which in ol es he inclusion o Wes e ne s oge h e wi h indians and o he peoples like A ican-Ame icans o Chicanos (36-39). This is he only way ha he a icula ion o whi e iden i y can be c i ically examined in he same e ms in which i is done wi h he indian, as bo h he esul and cause o a p ocess o cons uc ion, so ha he in e dependence o he wo ca ego ies is ou lined and he ela ionship be ween he people de ined h ough hem can be c i ically e ised.2 The concep ion o Ame ican e hnici y has as i s oo s, in Sollo s' wo ds, he ambigui y and ension be ween he o ces o consen and descen , o « he con lic be ween con ac ual and he edi a y, se l -made and ances al» (5-6). A he co e o he Ame ican na ional cha ac e is «a denia l o legi imacy and p i ilege bascd cxclusi ely on descen » and a p e e ence o he «Classic Ame ican idea o newcome s' ebi h in o a o wa d-looking cul u e o consen » (4). Hence, Ame icans usually de ine hemsel es in e ms o consen , o e coming he edi a y ela ions and links o Eu ope, whe eas he indians a e in e p e ed as symbolizing descen , incapable o assimila ing and o ge ing hei na u e. Ame ica is he e o e a new epublic opposed o old Eu opean a is oc a ic legi imacy and o he indians' inhe i ed igh s o h e land, which b ings abou ambiguous de ini ions in ela ion o 2 The cp cscn a ion o indian in i alk s echoes Vizeno 's in en ion o ou l ine «linguis ic usage and e hnocen ic seman ic blunde s» (x1 ). which 1 cx cnd o he e m whi e in o de o s ess an unde s anding o e hnici y ha in ol es ali g ou ps including hc Wes e n. A no e o ancn ion un he use o gcnc alisa ions necds o be includcd he e. The bina y opposi ion ha sepa a es he Wes e n om hc Na i e wo ld ob iously isks e asing ob ious di e cn~es an d silencing pe ading dialogu es be wccn he g ea di e si y o na ions. cul u es and languages h a make up bo h g oups. Howe c . hcy do espond o an exis ing pem:p ion o calily, cons mc ing images and o ganising m ean in gs ha peoplc eso o o sel and o hc -iden i ica ion. In his wo k. hey a e he e o e used as a co mpound o qu es ionable p esupposi ions ha acili a e he s udy o bo h cul u al g oups and hei in c ac ions. As o he cla ionship be wecn 11·hi elindia11 and Wes e n/Na i e, and e cn hough he implica ions -po li ical co ec ness aside- o using ei hc pai a e essen ially he same, o hey a e bo h cons uc ed on a bo <le o di c ence. 1 in end o emphasize he discu si e cons uc ion in he i alicised whi elindian and he subsequen esponse o such a cons uc ion in Wes e n/Na i e, allhough 1 also a gue ha hc ela ion bc wcen he wo dicho omies is no onc o al ema ion bu o e isionis dialogue. Louise E d ích 's The Mas e Bu che s Singing Club. o he Cons uc íon ... 15 each o hem: a cco ding o Mani es Des iny ideology, he new empi e is de ined as co mpa ible o Eu ope and opposed o he indians in he ci ilizing mission o e sa agism, whe eas, when he immig an s sea ch o so ne oo s in he Ame ican land, hey es ablish a connec ion o he indians in o de o aqui e a symbolic legi imacy in he new con inen . Wi hin he gene ali y o Sollo s' app oach o e hnici y as consen and descen . E d ich's no el e lec s on he di e en ial in eg a ion o women and men in o he na ional p ojec o he de inüion o e hnici y, as wcll as o he in e ela ions be ween gende . e hnici y. and na ion. C i ic Ma ie Co nelia has no ed ha The Mas e Bu che «is a amily saga, a ale o immig an expe ience, a young woman's coming o age s o y and a mys e y o so s. bu i is as a s udy o shi ing and luid iden i ies» ha shc mainly conside s i in he a icle. Indeed. hose eade s amilia wi h E d ich's wo k will soon eali se ha he no el goes back in ime o a icula e a p e ious s age in he cons uc ion o Ame ican e hnici y ha will hen co n in ue in The Bee Queen (1986), a mo e ha emphasizes hc dynamic componen o iden i y, which is in cons an e/ ision. E d ich's The Mas e Bu che e lec s on h e a icula ion o e hnici y in di ec ela ion o gende . cmphasizing he in e dcpendence o na ion and nana ion. and he con igu a ion o e hnic and cul u al iden i y as a nego ia ion o ansna ional and local a iables. The cen e o he na a i e is aken by Fidelis Wald ogel, he Ge man mas e bu che -a igu e inspi ed by E d ich 's own g and a he - w ho , a e igh ing in he i s wa , emig a es o Amc ica wi h a sui case ull o wha will be his means o su i al: his bu c he kni es. Se ling down in A gus, No h Dako a, wi h his wi e E a and hei ou boys. Fidelis will s uggle o a li ing in Ame ica a li his li e. and he is also hc ounde o a singi ng club whe e he men in own sing so ngs om hei li e en coun i es o o igin. Fidelis' s o y is a goo l example o he a bi a iness o bo de s o all kinds, as he e y b eg inning o he no el al eady shows: «When he woke in Ge many in la e No embe o he yea 1918, he was only a ew cen ime e s away om becoming F enc h on Clemenceau and Wilson 's ed awn ma p, a ac ha ma e cd no hing comp a ed o wha he e migh be o ea » (MBSC 1). In his se n ence E d ich summa izes one o he main poin s made in he book: he na u e o bounda ies is o a g ea ex cn due o chance, i is clea ly a cons uc ion, and i is no hal as impo an as su i ing, which has a lo o do wi h how he discou se o immig a ion is a icula cd. Fidelis is ccu en ly desc ibed, especially in hose i s ew pages. as mo ionless and mo ing, as ha ing s ong oo s and an u gen need o a el, a dynamic ha will de ine him ali his li e: when he e u ns home om he wa , Fidelis goes h ough a p ocess o eb i h in his childh ood bed, which he soon aba ndons wh en he ea li ses ha he sh ould emig a e o Ame ica o wo k o a li ing. S aying and lea ing a e al so di ec ly associa ed o he li e and dea h cycle embodied in Fidel is' complex pe sonali y: he abili y o kill ha he has success ully eso ed o du ing he wa will g an his su i al again as he a n s o!Tl1s slaugh e ing in o a g ace ul occupa ion, o , being a bu che , he belie es « he e was an a o a p opc killing)> (8). 16 Sil ia Manínez Fa/quina Once in Ame ica, chance will conlinue o de e mine a pe son's loca ion and hci subsequen de ini ion in poli ical e ms: Fidelis se les down in A gus jus becau se ha is he place whe e he uns ou o money in his jou ney wes wa ds, an d his acciden al e en will ma k his and his a nily's des iny as Midw es e ne s. Fidelis now li es in a new coun y «whe e Ge mans we e Ge mans ega dless o hei egional o igins» (MBSC 8). Ob iousl y, ba ck in Ge many he e is no su ch hing as a uni i ed Ge man iden i y, bu a a om homogeneous compound o g oups who concei e o hemsel es as di e en o hose om o he egions. Howe e , e hnici y a eis an d is conslan ly econs uc ed, he e is a need o gene aliza ions a nd , he e o e, Ame i ca will ea he immig an s in a simpli ied, o en essen ialized way, ha is, in e ms o hei common Ge man descen . E d ich cons an ly e lec s on he ambigui ies o such a cons uc ion o e hnici y, and on he way immig an s g adually become Ame ic an s. A e an inciden wi h a dog and encou aged by compe i ion in h ei common a de, Fidelis p o agonizes an cpisode o s ong an a go ni sm wi h bu che Pe e Kozka - a Polish Ame i ca n who also appea s in Th e Bee Que en and T acks-and «[ lo a ime, he wo b u che shops di ided he own be ween hem , ju s as he Ca holic and Lu he an chu ches did» (MBSC 42). Soon, hough, Fidelis s a s «wha was o become a own ins i u ion» (42), his si nging club, which in Ame ica <loes no n eed o be seg ega ed by p o ession like i was in Ge ma ny , and his will be he end o his enmi y wi h Pe e Kozka. Th e image o ha nony embodied in he singing club, howe e , is o en con as ed o h e pe sis ence o animosi y, co n on a ion. and e il in gene al, o e e y once in a while he own would be eminded ha e en hough i was popula ed by an a my o decen peoplc, e en hough a najo i y coun ed he n se l es pious chu chgoe s, e en h ough A gus p ided i sel on ci ic pa icipa ion, i was no immune. Sl ub's Fune a y s ood lou ishing, a es amen o he ac ha dea h Jik ed A gus jus as much as anywhe e else. And e il, h ough i was no co nd oned by he ci y council, lou ished none heless, he e an d he e, in su p i si ng and sec e pocke s. (43 -44) Dea h and iolence a e e y ea l e ec s o an agonism, a a ia i on o which has o be deal wi h a a b oade g oup le e! once Wo ld Wa JI s a s in Eu ope. The mix u e o oices o di e en na ionali ies ha composes he singing club, including Ge man Ame i ca n, Polish Ame ican, Na i e Ame ican and he mo e es ablished Ame icans, is in dange o becoming a smalle -scaie e lec ion o h e Eu opean wa unless i s membe s clea ly ede ine hemsel es as Ame icans. Hence, Ge man son gs e en ually ha e o be eplaced by Am e ican pa io ic songs, and he Ge mans in A gus change h ei namcs om Sch nid o Smi h, o n Buche s o Book, hey hang «Ame ican lags by hei doo ways o in hei windows,» and hey speak «as much English as hey knew» (335). These symbols a e a clea example o assimila ion o he Ame ican na ional iden i y, o consen and ej ec ion o he ies o descen , and i is wo h poin ing ou no jus he p ac icali y o he no e, bu al so he cons uc ed na u e o he meanings esul ing om i . Lauise E d ich 's The Mas e Bu che s Singing Club , o i e Cons uc ion ... 17 The link wi h he Old Wo ld is no only p e se n in ela ion o he immig an cba ac e s' pas , bu i will emain s ong and complica ed in o he u u e in spi c u hei e o s a co nsen cd assimila ion. A e ha ing been sen back o Ge nany o an educa ion, Fidelis' wo younge sons E ich and bis win Emil will igh he wa on he Ge man side, whe eas be o he wo, F anz and Ma kus, emain on be Ame ican side. This e en o e s a good eílec ion on he cons uc ion o Wes e n c hnici y, o cha ac e s place hemsel es on a di e cn s ide o a cons uc ed bo de depending on hei li e ci cums ances, and i is p ecisely hose ci cums ances ha will de e mine bci choice s. O he wo wins, only E ich su i es he wa and becomes a p isone o he Ame icans, bu when bis Ame ican amily inds ou a.nd ies o sa e him, he u ns bis back on hem, ha is, he ejec s his descen in a ou o he iden i y he has consen cd o adop o bim sel . A e his ie ce aining and se e a! yea s o o ma iun in Gennany, E ich «had become in his deepes pe son ho oughly Ge man. O wha he hough o as Ge man. Tha is, he 'd eplaced his childbood wi b a ncw wash o pu i y. Belie , dea h loyal y, ha ed o he weak. He li ed simply, by une g ea consuming oa h» (MBSC 352). As a esul o his choice de e mined by his pa icula ci cums anccs, E i ch's ana icism was ha o he cul u ally in secu e. He'd s uggled o be a Gc man, and no c en cap i i y was going u des oy wha hc'd gone h ough when shi pp ed o o Ludwigs nhe. E ich's new a he was a bounda y on a map. a eeling o a cenain song. a sc ap o o cs , a s ce . I was a omance as cndu ing as he spilled blood o hi s b o he o he Ion ging o Fidelis o he pains o hi s wa . l was an idea ha kep him walking h ough h c p ison ga es. (364) Louise E d icb cons an ly unde lines he cons uc ed, e en a bi a y na u e o such limi ing idcologies, and she simul aneously p es cn s he se e e conscquences o he opposi ional bo de s placed be ween g oups o people, which de e mine bo h he con on a ion o membc s o he same amily and dea h a a la ge scale. Mo eo e , E d ich is making a u he poin wi h s ong implica ions in he con empo a y globalized wo ld. As Dalia Kandiyo i a gues in he a icle «Mul iplici y and i s Discon en s,» he e is a se nse in much o oday's c i icism ha « hc double o mul iple a achmen a o dcd by diaspo ic modes and sensibili ies lead no o disunily, di usion, and ea so n, as na ionalis disco u s es would main ain, bu o a gain ul mul iplici y o pe spec i es, languages, and knowledgcs» (10). I is ue ha E d icb, no jus in The Mas e Bu che s Singing Club bu in h e wo ks as a whole, a gues o he need o em b ace hyh idi y and double consciousness, o e coming ixed bo de s o essen ialized de ini ions.1 Howe e , he no ion o ansna ionalism should i Among hc wo ks ha ou line his aspee! u E <l ich's ic ion. hus o e coming hc bounda ics o simple e hnic ca ego iza ion ha p edomina cs in he c i icism on h e wo k, a e he a icles by Claudia Egc e a n<l Ca hc ine Rainwa e , and he olume by Ma ínez Falquina, Ce emonias Pos indias. 18 Sil ia Ma í 11e :: Fu/quina nol be oman icised, jus like hyb idi y o he bo de lands sho uld no make us o ge h e eali y o di e ence cons uc ion and i s e ec s, po si i e a nd nega i e alike.4 The discou se o immig a ion as ansna ionalism in The Mas e B che combines up u e , agmen a ion, a nd loss, oge he wi h wholeness, con inui y, an d enewal. On hc o he hand, wi hin he gene al s uggles in ol ed in lhe immig an sea ch o belonging, [a]s subjec s who a e o en in a supplcmcn al o adj un ela ionship o cigning de ini ions o na ional, e hnic, and acial o ma ions, women may ace pa icula c.:ha ll enges in c ms o diaspo i c.: belonging, wi h i s implica ions o mul iple associa ions, cach o which may de ine emaleness in hie a chical and es ic i e c ms. (Walby 7) Acco dingly, E d ich pays a spccial a en ion o ge n l e in he no el abou he immig an s uggle o belong in a new land ami o co nsl u c a new iden i y. Besides he malc sc l and o hc de inilion in ela ion o wa , he emalc cxpe iences o womcn's wo k, iendship and mo h e hood, bo h bi ologica l and adop i e, a e also dc sc.: ibc d in de ail. The main emalc cha ac c s a e E a Waldwogel, Fidelis' i s wi e, who com es om Ge many a e him wi h hei ou so ns, and espe cially Delphine Wa zka, who p o ides so ne in e es i ng e lcc ions on mo hc hood and na i onal iden i y. Delphine is an Ame ican woman o un cc ain o igin who bc icnds E a and will, a c he dea h, be com e Fidelis' second wi c and an adop i e mo he o his child c n. Delphine ne e knew h e mo he and his loss «had made Delphine s ong, bu also caused he o li e as a damaged pc son. a sea che wi h a hopeless ques , a p ac i cal-minded woman wi h a s eak o dismay» (MBSC 345). She ies o i ll ha oid wi h emale companionship like h e childho od iend Cla isse, and E a Wald ogel, he bu che 's wi e. I is when she e n e s E a's ki chen and ells he pa o he s o y ha Dclphine inds so ne so o es om he p c ious li e as a wande e . F om ha mo men onwa ds, he wo womcn's ela ionship will be accompanied by hei common wo k a he bu chc 's house and sh op , by cooking and baking and aking ca e o he child en. E en hough in cons an sea ch o o o s he sel , Delphine is consis en ly desc ibe<.! as a balancing cha ac e ; s o ng and ha dwo king, she p o ides a sense o sec u i y o he people a ou nd he , es pe cially men. She is he one o ake ca e o he d unken a h e all his li e; she also es ablishes a a nily-Iike ela ionship wi h Cyp ian Laza e, a homosexual Na i e Ame ican wi h whom Delphine 's ini ial oman ic exp ec a ions a e us a ed. F o a while. Cyp ian and Delphine do a balancing ick in a aude ille ac oge he : Delphin e's s ong s omach is he base on which Cyp ian balances on a numb e o cha i s, a e y symbolic image o Delphine's link o he land and i s pul!. She is g a i y and solidi y, bu Cyp ian is an in-be ween ' Fo a c i ica! discussion o hese an<l o he c ms o e hnic de ini ion in ela ion o gendc an<l Na i e Ame ican iden i y, sec Ma ínez Falquina Indias yj hm e as. Louüe E d ich's The Mas e Bu che s Singing Club, o he Co11s uc ion. .. 19 igu e whose a e is no o s ay and s a a amily, so hey e en ually sepa a e and Delphine se les down in A gus o good. Fundamen al o Delphine's cha ac e iza ion is he issue o mo he hood, which is ypically ela ed o he cons uc ion o iden i y and o na ionalism. Absen mo he s, a ecu en! heme in E d ich 's ic ion,5 symbolize a b oken ela ionship o he pas by di ec ly ep esen ing a pe son's desccn . Dclphine has been denied ha link and she becomes a sel -made woman who embodies Ame ican alues o au onomy and e olu ion h ough ha d wo k. Du ing all h e Ji e she belie es she is he daugh e o own d unka d Roy Wa zka and his mys e iously disappea ed helo ed Minni e. A his dca hbed. Roy ells Delphine he s o y o he mo he , a mixedhlood C ee and F ench who wi nessed he agedy o Wounded Knee. Roy po ays Minnie as an ou s anding Na i e Ame ican woman Delphine will be p oud o be ela ed o. She is. howe e , jus a su oga e mo he , o as only we cade s ind ou a he end o he no el, Minnie is ac ually S ep-and-a-Hal , a es less Na i e who li es selling o hc pcople's ash, and who ound he newbo n Delphine in an A gus ou house a e she was abandoned by he biological mo he . S ep-and-a-Hal lea es he baby wi h Roy and helps him b ing he up in he dis ancc, wi hou Dclphine knowing. whe eas Dclphine's blood mo he ends up an obese and decaden woman. Wha is signi ican in his s o y abou mo he s and daugh e s is ha Delphine does ha e a biological mo he nea by, and a woman ha she knows bu who c uelly abandoned he as a child. S ep-and-a-Hal sa es Delphine's li e and yca s la e , Roy gi es he a link o a mo he ha will ela e he o he Ame ican land and o he s o ies o i s o iginal inhabi anh, an idea ha has been a ypical Ame ican sea ch o cen u ies.1 ' This link is no eally biological bu symbolic, bu i s alue o Dclphine is undeniable: no only <loes biology mean dca h o he , bu hanks o he eedom om hose des uc i e ies and o he a he 's s o y, Delphine will become a s ong pe son capable o es ablishing las ing, consen ela ions a ound he , especially o Fidelis and his amily o immig an s. E en mo e i onically, E d ich has he es ablish a li elong iendhip ela ionship wi h Maza ine, a gi l she becomes e y ond o and who is ac ually he biological sis e . Nei he o h em knows o will know o his. a u he a i ma ion o he alue o conscn cla ions o a ini y o c ea e amily as opposed o hose o blood ies. Delphine is he woman who mos signi ican ly ep esen s he a icula ion o Ame ican e hnici y in he no el. Acco ding o An hias and Yu al-Da ies, he e a e i e majo ways in which women a e in ol ed in e hnic and na ional p ocesses: 1. as biological ep oduce s o membe s o e hnic collec i i ies; 2. as ep oduce s o he bounda ies o e hnic/na ional g oups; ' Among hc many e e ences o he issue u mo hc hood in E d ich 's p e ious wo k a e hc a icles by Me ldan Tan isal, Julie Tha p and Hc ha Wong. • Fo an accoun o examples o his endency, see Sollo s, e sp ec ially 102-I 30. 20 Sil ia Mm ínez Fa/quina 3. as pa icipa ing cen ally in hc ideolog ic al ep oduc ion o he collec i i y and as ansmi c s o i s cul u e; 4. as sig ni i c s o e hnic/na ional di c enccs -as a ocus and symbol in idcological discou ses used in he cons uc ion, cp oduc ion and ans o ma ion o e hnic/ na ional ca cgo ies; 5. as pa icipan s in na ional, eco nomi c, poli ical and mili a y s uggles. (in Walby 236-37) Delphinc is no a biological mo he , so he de ini ion o iden i y will be cen e ed in consen and no descen . Signi ican ly, she becomes he in e p e e o he adop ed son Ma kus' « esu ec ion om he ea h» (MBSC 339) a e he is accidcn ally bu ied ali e, an inciden which helps he child come o cnns wi h he d ea h o his mo he E a and accep his adop ion by Delphine and he Ame ican Iand. As o hc sccond aspec in An hias and Yu al-Da ies' dc ini ion, Delphine is basically an in cg a i e cha ac e who do es no ep oduce bu o e comes e hnic a nd na ional bounda ies: she ma ies a Ge nan a e ha ing li cd wi h a Na i e Am e ican and he ole is ha o ela ing people om di e e n o igins. H e c ea ion o a new Ame ican amily wi h Fidelis is an example o he o e lapping o he pe sonal and he poli ical. o when hey ma y hey a e mo e han indi iduals, hey a e also ep esen a i es o hei espec i e na ions o o igin coming oge he : « I would seem o mon hs a e wa d ha he e had been a g ea collision, ha wo glac ie s had h ough slow o c e smashed oge he , a la s , and buckled» (306). In ela ion o poin h ee, Delphine does pa icipa e in he idcological ep oduc ion o he Ame ican cul u e and i s alues: shc is hc one o each Fideli s' sons and e en Fidelis himsel he way ce ain hin gs a e done in Ame ica, o en p edica ing wi h he own example. As o poin ou , Delphine undamen ally signi ies Ame ican di e ence as consen , and o Ame ican discou se as inclusi e o peopl es' indi iduali ies. Finally, she pa icipa es in economic s uggles, a an indi idual le e] a i s , and in he small g owing own la e . Howe e , h e ela ionship o mili a ism is onc o ejcc ion: Delphine knows ha Fide li s is deeply damaged om his pa icipa ion in he i s wa , and she ies o p e en hi s wo elde sons o joi n in he second. Al hough once s he unde s ands ha h ey ha e lo o llow hei own way, she beco n es comple ely suppo i e, Delphine s iU be li e es h a wa and he con on a ional ideologies l ea ding o i a e no he way o nake any eal p og ess. He p u. icipa ion in he a icula ion o Ame i can iden i y, he e o e, is no de ined in opposi ional bu in eg a i e e nn s, and as s he de ends indi idu al di e cnces shc also s esses ela ion. In con as o he igu e o Delphine, E a, mo he o ou child en, who speaks wilh a s ong Ge man accen and misses he « Old Wo ld Quali y» ha she has le bchind (MBSC 95), does no su i e in he New Wo ld bu pain ully dies o cance se e a] yea s a e he a i al. Fidelis' sis e Tan e does no adap o Ame ica and a e h e ailu e o wo k and go up in he wo ld as she cxpec ed, she goes back o Ge many, aking he younge nephews wi h he . Delphine's childhood iend Cla isse, a mo e se led Ame ican, e en ually has o lea e he own a e mu de ing an obsessi e úmise Eni ich 's The Mas e Bu che s Singíng Club. o he Cml.l' 11c i011 ... 21 man who was cons an ly ha assing he , and he s uggle o independence om his ma e powe cos s he p ospe ous job as a une a y p ac i ione , an uncon en ional posi ion o a woman ha she will no be able o keep. In con as! o hese cha ac e s, Dc lphine's s uggle and ha d wo k will con i m h e as a su i o in he Midwes em own o A gus and as an embodimen o Ame ican na ional alues: she s a s o being he daugh e o a poo d unka d, bu she su i es he ha d yea s o he Dep ession and makes p og ess in he bu che shop and in a new plan shop she s a s a e Fide li s' dea h, becoming a espec ed wo ke in he own in he p ocess. Ano he signi ican aspec o he a icula ion o e hnici y and he di e en s ages o na ion o ma ion in The Mas e Bu che . Singing Club is he p csence o wo Na i e Ame ican cha ac e s, S ep-and-a-Hal and Cyp ian Laza e. I is wo h poin ing ou ha , al hough Am e ica was supposedly a democ acy in he l 840s when whi e men won su age, cha ac e s like S ep-and-a-Hal o Cyp ian would no be able o o e and would be s ongly ma ginalized un il a leas he 1960s. As has al eady been ou lined, S cp-and-a-Hal is a li ing his o y o e ible e en s ha o igina ed in he Wes e n-Na i e con on a ion, and as a esul she is a ed o cons an ly walk in o de no o s op and hea he own memo ies, an expe ience ha se es h e he name. Cyp ian Laza e is also a ma ginal igu e in bo h his homosexuali y and mixedblood e hnici y. He is mé is, a descendan o Chippewa peoples mixed wi h he F ench, and he claims he amous l ea de Louis Riel as an ances o . l is Midwes e n Ame ica in he 1920s, and as Cyp ian knows, being an indian is no a small hing o admi in A gus, so, o a while, Delphine is he only one who k.nows abou his e hnic o igin. The ac ha he wo Na i e cha ac e s ha e a special link o Delphine con i ms he as he key igu e ha in eg a cs di e en indi iduals a nd e hnici ies. A e he lea es A gus, Cyp ian s a s ano he pe o mance wi h his lo e , a Jew om Li huania, and a i s hey pe cei e each o he as di e cn am i unknown: Cyp ian men ions ha «l was a eal cu iosi y o him a i s ,» and simila ly, his eac ion o his new iend is o cu iosi y owa ds he o he , o «l lhe e's no Jews on he ese a ion» (MBSC 317). E hnici y usually in ol es he de ini ion o he o he as di e en , which en ails he a icula ion o a bounda y, bul in his pa icula si ua ion, wo people who a e doubly conside ed o he -because o hei e hnic o igin and sexual o ien a ion- a e pe ec ly capable o o e coming hei di c cnces and wo king and li ing oge hc . Cyp ian's ela ionship o Fidelis is mo e complex, ne e hcless. E en hough hcy bo h sing in he club oge he , he g owing animosi y be wecn hem, o igina ing in hei common !o e o Delphine, leads hem o igh each o he iolen ly. In s ead o jus i ying hei mu ual dislike as a esul o hei eelings o Delphine, hey ind a mo e accep able excuse in h e ac ha hey ough he i s wa on opposi e si des. The pe sonal and he poli ical come oge he in hese cha ac e s' con on a ion, bu when Fidelis' son Ma kus is bu ied ali e and Cyp ian sa es him, Fidelis has no op ion bu o o gi e him. Wa a a smalle o la ge scale, E d ich a gues, is no as impo an! as day- o-day su i al. In spi c o he o en i ial o coinciden al o igins o con on a ion, he cons uc ion o bo de s docs de e m i ne dea h, as cpisodes likc he wo wo ld wa s