Abstract This paper examines Dorris's many contributions, focusing on establishing Native American Studies as an academic area of study, his popular novels and short stories on Native Americans and his opus on fetal alcohol syndrome, a book that examined a personal issue which cut across ethnicities and cultures.
From the Paper "Dorris was born in Louisville, Kentucky on January 30, 1945. He was the only child of Mary Bessy Burkhardt Dorris, who was of Swiss and Irish descent, and of Jim Dorris, who was of French, English and Modoc Indian heritage. He grew up in Kentucky and later spent time with his father's family in Tacoma, Washington and in various Indian reservations in the Pacific Northwest. In 1981, Dorris married Louise Erdrich, a former student who was also an author and also part Indian. Their large family included three adopted children and three biological children (Chavkin and Chavkin, xxii-xxiii). Though their marriage seemed to be the perfect literary partnership, Erdrich and Dorris's marriage was far from idyllic. During the last months of his life, the couple had separated and Dorris was exhibiting signs of severe depression."
Abstract This paper depicts the emotional and psychological struggle the author goes through in "The Broken Cord" by Michael Dorris which is about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.
Abstract This paper is an analysis of the character Ray in Michael Dorris' "A Yellow Raft in Blue Water". The paper examines how characters such as Christine and Aunt Ida, Sky and Evelyn shape and change Rayona's life. It examines each section of the book and examines how Rayona grows up to be a mother and break the status quo of women in her family.
From the Paper "The role of family in Rayona's search for identity determines the kind of person she grows up to be. Culture, race, economic class, and power shape Rayona's entire life. These aspects of life are of great importance to the family throughout the novel. In the Rayona section of the book Christine makes Rayona grow up to be a lot like her, and her influence on Ray is a lot like Aunt Ida's influence on Christine. Sky and Evelyn give Rayona a look into a normal family situation and this shows her what she is and has been missing out on throughout her life with Christine and Aunt Ida. Aunt Ida makes sure that Rayona knows her heritage from the beginning of the book to the end, but at the same time reinforces the lack of wanting responsibility as a mother."
This paper reviews and analyzes Michael Dorris's non-fiction book "The Broken Cord" which focuses on the legal, medical and social ramifications of fetal alcohol abuse.
Abstract This paper examines the negative connotations and societal undertones surrounding single parenthood and the traumatic effects of fetal alcohol syndrome as detailed in "The Broken Cord," the non-fiction book written by Michael Dorris. This paper discusses complex issues such as ethnicity, adoption and the human limitations of medical understanding.
This paper also details the author's struggles in adopting his own son Adam.
From the Paper "The first major issue presented in the book is the negative connotations and societal undertones surrounding single parenthood, and particularly, single fatherhood. Despite that the book was written in 1989, society has not progressed much since Dorris encountered the ramifications and implications surrounding this issue when he decided to adopt Adam in the 1970s. He notes that his family had historically been comprised of single parents, but admitted that it was generally women, and therefore, mothers who had raised the children."
Abstract This paper is an examination of the narrator's point of view in the story. The writer first gives a succinct but thorough plot summary, a discussion of the major themes, and a brief discussion of European colonialism in Africa. It then discusses how the major crisis experienced by the narrator in the "Old Chief Mshlanga" leads to changes in her life. It argues that the major crisis eventually leads to the positive change of the narrator beginning to see the evils of white colonialism in Africa.
From the Paper "The Old Chief Mshlanga, written in 1951, is a story of a white girl. The story takes place in an African country, and as the plot and characters develop, the girl eventually becomes aware of the injustices and cruelty perpetrated by colonialists on the African people.
"The story is set in Zimbabwe, an African country, which had been colonized by European interests by the start of the 20th century. Europeans colonized Africa in the hopes of acquiring natural resources, new markets, and new areas for investment. There was a large push to colonize Africa in the late 1800's resulting in the displacement of many native African people, and the imposition of white rule on the African populace. As can be expected, there was a great deal of tension and difficulty surrounding African colonialism."
Abstract The paper provides a detailed analysis of the character Kate Brown's journey into self-consciousness in the novel "The Summer Before the Dark" by Doris Lessing. The paper traces Kate Brown's dual journey into on both the physical and spiritual planes as she comes to an awareness of herself as mother, over the course of one critical summer at the crossroads of her life.
From the Paper "In The Summer Before the Dark, Kate Brown, mother of four, embarks upon a journey of self-discovery and self-awareness. Over the course of the summer she will awake to a new understanding of the role of Motherhood, her own life, and the multi-dimensional relationship between the two. Kate's journey into consciousness is simultaneously outwardly manifested by her travels on the physical plane. The most telling sign that the two journeys are inter-related is their parallelism of form. In order to reach a state of psychological and spiritual harmony, Kate must complete her mandala. The mandala, which is the psychological symbol for a state of wholeness and completion is generally symbolized in physical terms by a circle. Kate completes her Mandala on the psychological plane during the course of her travel experiences on the physical plane."
