![]() Orange’s technique of highlighting a wide variety of characters proves to be both the strength and weakness of There There. ![]() ![]() Eventually, these vignettes all come crashing together to create a complex story where multiple strands eventually connect into a heartbreaking tapestry. Individuals are the driving force of being human, and that is no different here. However, like in all tales, there are moments of beauty and sadness and humor that give the novel its soul. And like much of the history that Orange touches upon throughout the novel, this book turns into a tragedy by the final pages. Orange expertly weaves together numerous personal stories into one greater tale, one where the individuals he follows, all with at least some Native lineage, make their way towards a sprawling powwow event in Oakland, California. On a different level, it also explores the private histories that shape the everyday actions of all people. ![]() ![]() It can be argued that the entire book, set in modern day, permeates with the centuries old theme of searching for identity in the face of cultural destruction. Entire chapters deal directly with the history of Native peoples in the Americas and their largely tragic encounters with European colonizers. Though a work of fiction, Tommy Orange’s debut novel, There There, is steeped in history. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |