Green Grass, Running Water: Close Analysis Journal

A marriage is a sacred event between a man and a women who have chosen to spend the rest of their lives together. It is something that is supposed to last a lifetime, "till death do us part," as mentioned in the most common wedding vows. It is a union of two people, bringing their families and cultures closer together. This is especially important in multi-cultural relationships, the joining of cultures would lead to a wider understanding of each other and a lessening of racial and prejudiced thoughts. In Thomas King's Green Grass, Running Water, instead of understanding and happiness, every relationship between a Native American and a white person leads to unhappiness.

The biggest factor in Green Grass, Running Water that shows King's negative attitude towards mixed marriages is the failure of all relationships that involve whites and Native Americans. Alberta Frank's marriage to the white man named Bob. They first met going to school together at the university, at first their relation ship went very well; after all, "They were married that same year" (91). But as time went on Bob wanted Alberta to drop out of school and work so that he could finish his schooling and once he "had established himself in a good government position," Alberta could go back to university (91). Alberta's reluctance to this idea, as well as Bob's insulting her Indian culture, "you don't want to spend the rest of your life in a tepee, do you?" (92), pushed them towards a divorce the next year. Alberta's parents also had troubles with their relationship; her father Amos was a drunk who beat her mother, Ada, repeatedly. One day Alberta witnessed Amos coming home drunk and was cursing out Ada, "come out here and help me, you old cow" (95). He passed out screaming in the front yard with his pants down. Ada left him out there on the porch with a blanket; the next day Amos was gone. His truck was drove into the lake and Amos had left his wife and family for good.

Another example of a marriage that failed because of a culture clash is Latisha's. She married a man named George Morningstar. From the very beginning, "Latisha had even liked his name. It sounded slightly Indian, though George was American, from a small town in Michigan" (143). When they first met George was a polite man who was curious about Indian culture and always listened intently to Latisha, "It was his one great quality. He made you believe that he was listening, made you believe that he was interested" (145). They spent all their time together and were very happy. Even once they were married it seemed normal and happy at first. But as time went on, George started to become more opinionated and grew distant from Latisha. He stopped listening to her and would just talk and talk about how Americans were so far superior to Canadians. They had their first child, Christian. He had been an only child when they deicided to have more children, in hopes of saving their marriage. They next two children, "Benjamin and Elizabeth were two year apart. Elizabeth had been a suprise. The divorce was not" (213). Latisha had gotten sick of George constantly switching jobs and just acting stupid. Her opinion of him now was that, "George was dull and he was stupid, bone-deep stupid, more stupid than Latisha could ever have guessed whites could be stupid" (213). George had started beating Latisha, for absolutely no reason at all. He then decided to stop working altogether and take care of the kids. Their relationship got worse and worse until, "The next week George left. Just left" (275). King writes another marriage that started happy but because of culture differences ended very badly and left everyone unhappy.

One relationship that actually would have worked out wonderfully Tom King writes it to end in tradgety. Eli Stands Alone had met a wonderful white woman named Karen. She was very open-minded towards his Native American culture, and very interested in learning about it. While Eli had taught her about Indians, Karen had given him book after book to read when he had the time. After a length of time where the two of them got along, they had decided to move in together. They lived at Karen's house since she had more money. After living together for two years, Eli met Karen's parents. They got along very well and had no problem with Eli being Indian. After that went so well, Karen wanted to meet Eli's family, and so he took her to the Sun Dance. Karen was excited to go, "'the Sun Dance!' said Karen. 'I didn't even know you guys still practiced that'" (225). They go to the Sun Dance and Karen has a great time. She was excited to go again, "Karen was full of enthusiasm and plans. They would go back next year. Early. Before the people put up the tepees. They would stay for the entire time, eat in the camp, sleep in the camp. Karen would help Eli's mother and sister" (287). Eli kept putting back going again to the Sun Dance, and Karen was afraid, "'Eli,' Karen asked, 'you're not embarassed or something like that?'' (291). After awhile Karen had stopped bugging Eli about the Sun Dance, but then she got really sick. At first they thought she was pregnant, but actually she was near death from sickness. When she finally was getting better from the sickness, and they knew she'd survive it, Eli and her started planning the rest of their lives together. Then one day, after they had planned on going to the Sun Dance again that summer, they were driving around in their car; "Eli saw the car before Karen did, a dark flash of purple and black, glistening as it came, plunging through the intersection" (382). The driver of that car was drunk and his recklessness cost Karen her life. The fact that King killed Karen, who was in the only multi-cultural relationship in the book that would have been successful, really proves how he doesn't want the cultures to succeed in mixing with each other.

In Tom King's novel, marriage itself is regarded with negative connotation. At the Dead Dog Cafe, a customer asks Latisha, "'Are you married?' asked Jeanette. 'No.' 'Very wise,' said Jeanette" (143). She pushes the question further later while talking to Latisha, "'but you must have been married,' said Jeanette. 'Every woman makes that mistake at least once" (143). In Alberta's case, she has two men in her life, whom she must act carefully around since she says that, "men wanted to be married" (46). And Alberta didn't want that commitment again. King is calling marriage in general a "mistake" throughout the novel.

Green Grass, Running Water, a satire of white culture as well as Christianity, really shows Thomas King's attitude towards the mixing of culture. With all the of the symbolic marriages failing and/or ending in unhappiness, King must feel a sort of contempt towards those who try to force a cultural understanding between white Americans and Native Americans. His writing reflects this in the way that every marriage or relationship with mixed couples ends up in disaster.