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