The Next Part on this Three Day Journey

In this section of Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden, the reader discovers more about Niska’s past and we also learn about more of Elijah and Xavier’s experiences during the war.

Niska’s story is revealed to the reader when she decides to tell her story to Xavier while they are on their journey home. Even though it doesn’t appear like Xavier is really listening, she still continues to talk to him because she feels as though it might help ease his pain. The first part of her past that she reveals is her past in the bush and the fact that she “was the natural extension of her father, the new limb through which her family’s power travelled.”  (pg 131) Since she has this power, several people, especially men, would ask her for advice on where to find game. She also notes that most men do not approach her for what most mean would generally approach a woman for. It seems as though she may be a little lonely, but that soon changes. Niska discovers a trap line and knows that she is not alone in the bush, so she starts playing games in order to find out who this person is. In the end, Niska discovers that he is a Frenchman and after seeing him for the first time, they sleep together. This definitely wasn’t a good decision for her to make because this man tried to take her divine powers away from her. I feel as though she makes the decision to sleep with him because she is lonely and yearns for someone to love her; in a way that her mother cannot. I also believe that it was quite naive of her to believe that the man loved her or even cared about her, and this proves to be true when he takes her to the church. Not everything is what it first appears to be. Throughout this whole time, Xavier is conscious but Niska cannot tell if he is actually listening, but she assumes that he is.

 

 

In addition to Niska’s past experiences, the reader learns more about Xavier and Elijah’s experiences during the war. Most of their story takes part in the trenches of the Somme or of Vimy Ridge. Parts of these experiences include Xavier finally getting the recognition he deserves. After killing the “ghost sniper”, he goes out to find the dead body to take a souvenir. He decides to take his rifle, bayonet and the stripes from his uniform. From then on, Xavier uses this Mauser rifle and Elijah is quite jealous of this souvenir that Xavier has and he does not. At first, Elijah does not seem to care but as time progresses; he becomes jealous of Xavier and wants him to use the rifle as a prize that one of them will win in a competition. In addition to this jealousy, Elijah learns of another sniper named Peggy. Peggy was also a very good sniper, but he had no proof that he had killed anyone so not many people believed his success. Some other soldiers tell Elijah:

“”Do what we do. Collect evidence of your kills. Do what my people taught your people a long time ago. Take the scalp of your enemy as proof. Take a bit of him to feed you.”

“Elijah doesn’t know how to answer this. He smiles. “And what will collect these trophies really do for me?” he asks.

“They will buy you honour among us,” Francis says. “And we are honourable men.”” (pg 204)

This statement definitely affected Elijah, because he feels the need to be accepted by others and always wants to be the best. From that moment on, Elijah went to where the body of the soldier was and collected part of their scalp as a trophy.

The main thing that stands out to me from this section of the book is the animalistic nature that is connected to the war. It seems as though all sense of humanity is lost to some extent. I feel that this is especially true when soldiers go to the bodies of dead soldiers and take their scalps or some sort of trophy. It also reminds me of the “windigo”, which is not respected by the aboriginals. Another thing that stands out to me is the continuing jealousy and competition that occurs between Xavier and Elijah. Even though I discussed this in my last post, I feel as though the competition and jealousy between them is an integral part of the novel; so I’ll keep it brief this time. I feel as though it keeps them together and it makes both of them better, maybe not better people but better marksmen and snipers.

Another thing that became very obvious me is the occurrence and importance of the number three. The number is in the title of the book and is also mentioned several times by Xavier during his flashbacks. In his flashbacks, Xavier says that “everything these wemistikoshiw do is in threes. They are obsessed by that number.” (pg 245) In addition to this, Xavier highlights several other things that revolve around the number three, some of them including:

-          “work parties are split into groups of three, and they are ordered to count off accordingly.” (pg 245)

-          “They’ve even divided their army into three sections, the infantry, the artillery, and the cavalry. And these three sections are put through the same three rituals of training, then combat, then recovery.” (pg 245)

The next things that he mentions are more obscure, but nonetheless revolves around the number three. For example:

“This whole love for that number has trickled down from the ones who give the orders to the ones who take them. As soon as we are moved from the lines for rest, we follow the same pattern. Food, then rest, then women. We even die in threes. I have watched countless times how a soldier dies. He is a man before the bullet strikes, but when he is hit and the pain crashes into his body he realizes that he has only moments left on earth, he becomes a desperate animal. Finally, inescapably, he becomes a corpse.” (pg 245)

 

All of these references to the number three really stand out to me because that number is also in the title of the book. The example about the soldier dying also stands out to me because even though Xavier is on a journey home, he is really on a journey to his death; which is three days long. I feel as though the death of soldiers in war connect to the three day journey that Xavier takes, but I’m not completely sure what the connection is; other than the number three. Do you have any ideas as to what the connection is?