NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORIC MEMORY VS CATHOLIC TRADITIONAL DISCOURSE IN LOUISE ERDRICH’S NOVELS

Abstract

This article analyses the Catholic interpretation of Bible-Christian imagery presupposition within Louise Erdrich’s Love Medicine series. Religious discourse might be either explicit (when all the conclusions are clear) or implicit (when some shades of meanings are hidden). But this mystery is worth enshrouding with some linguistic technics. In this case, the most suitable approach would be the hermeneutical method, particularly utilizing its “hermeneutical circle” technique. This method involves breaking down the text into smaller fragments, interpreting each part individually, and then integrating these interpretations into a broader contextual understanding. Testament’s allusions are really vivid within the “Love Medicine” novel. The problem of interpreting Native American literature has been a concern for Ukrainian literary theorists since it first appeared in our country. It is worth mentioning that this kind of fiction is known in our country for less than ten years, and its interpretation is complicated not only because of the variety of positions, oppositions, and assumptions, but also due to the lack of thorough theoretical approaches to it that is caused by the lack of indigenist information. The post-millennium, the time of choices and challenges, provides an opportunity for Ukrainian scholars to expand the boundaries of their transnational research representation and include the names of indigenous authors in their research agenda.