"The survival of any culture depends
in great part on the stories its members tell."
I found this quote in an article developed
by Kathleen M. Ashley of the University of Maine for the Maine
Humanities Council. The article, Making a Life, Shaping an Identity: Ethnic Americans in Maine, addresses the fact that
while we tend to view New Englanders, and Mainers in particular, as a somewhat
insular group of "crusty Yankees ... a closer look at history reveals
a diverse mix of natives and immigrants from many backgrounds."
Indeed, the 19th century population of
Maine comprised many diverse cultures, including various native groups (such as
the Maliseet, Abenaki, Penobscot, Micmac, or Passamaquoddy people) as well as immigrants
from Canada, Ireland, Finland, Italy, and Sweden.
In the 20th century, that population
was joined by immigrants from Armenia, Somalia, Sudan, and many other countries.
Sure, Maine’s population is still largely white
and European, but there’s no denying that many different cultures live and
thrive here. And to some extent, the survival of those individual cultures
depends upon the telling of their stories.
*That, and the fact that Desmond highly
recommended it.
Although it is not a true story, Papa Martel is based in large part on
the life of Gerard Robichaud and the stories he told to his army buddies and
his wife about his French-Canadian upbringing in Lewiston, Maine. Most of its
material is based in fact, and in that way Robichaud managed to capture much of
the essence of the Franco-American lifestyle in the early 20th
century.
As You Read
I’d like you to consider the following assignment
options and come to group with one of them completed and ready to share.
1. Papa Martel is, first and foremost, the story of a family. Write
a short story relating an episode or event from the life of your family. It can
be completely factual, as a true autobiography would be, or
semi-autobiographical, like Papa Martel.
2. As I mentioned, Papa
Martel is semi-autobiographical. Do a little research and see what you can find
out about Gerard Robichaud. Then put together a list of all the similarities
you see between the novel’s characters and events and Robichaud’s life.
3. We’ve talked a bit about
universal themes over the course of this year, specifically the big four:
a. Individual v. Society
b. Individual v. Self
c. Individual v. Individual
d. Individual v. Nature
Choose two of these themes and explain how you see each of them playing
out in Papa Martel.
4. Although Louis Martel is
not traditionally educated and is, in fact, functionally illiterate, he
displays great wisdom at many points in the novel. Find at least three examples
of Louis’ wisdom. Use quotes from the book (with chapter & page numbers) to
reference each of these instances, and then explain why you find Louis’ actions
or advice in each situation to be wise.
All right. That’s it for now. Enjoy the book, and
I’ll see you on Tuesday, May 27th for our last lit group discussion
of the year.
Happy reading!
