<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p> As a novelist, Louise Erdrich is unique in receiving both popular and critical acclaim. Strangely, her popular appeal has discouraged study of her novels as experimental narrative texts. This is unfortunate, since innovations in Erdrich’s novels rival much “experimental” contemporary American fiction. This study outlines a convention of a three-level hierarchy of characters in novels and compares this convention with two experimental American novels: Infinite Jest (1996) by David Foster Wallace and Gravity’s Rainbow (1973) by Thomas Pynchon. The study then addresses Erdrich’s first novel, Love Medicine (1984), to show that it is unique in not having a main character. Although the other two experimental novels try to do without a main character, neither of them succeed at getting beyond this convention. Love Medicine innovates in at least one major narrative convention in a way that other experimental novels cannot do. This is one way in which Louise Erdrich and Love Medicine compare favorably to some of the most respected experimental contemporary American novels. Erdrich’s novels should take their place alongside other experimental American novels, being studied in similar ways, regardless of whether they are also read by a broad public audience. </p></abstract>

As a novelist, Louise Erdrich is unique in receiving both popular and critical acclaim. Strangely, her popular appeal has discouraged study of her novels as experimental narrative texts. This is unfortunate, since innovations in Erdrich’s novels rival much “experimental” contemporary American fiction. This study outlines a convention of a three-level hierarchy of characters in novels and compares this convention with two experimental American novels: Infinite Jest (1996) by David Foster Wallace and Gravity’s Rainbow (1973) by Thomas Pynchon. The study then addresses Erdrich’s first novel, Love Medicine (1984), to show that it is unique in not having a main character. Although the other two experimental novels try to do without a main character, neither of them succeed at getting beyond this convention. Love Medicine innovates in at least one major narrative convention in a way that other experimental novels cannot do. This is one way in which Louise Erdrich and Love Medicine compare favorably to some of the most respected experimental contemporary American novels. Erdrich’s novels should take their place alongside other experimental American novels, being studied in similar ways, regardless of whether they are also read by a broad public audience.

Louise Erdrich’s Place in American Literature: Narrative Innovation in Love Medicine

English Studies Department at the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of South Bohemia in Česke Budějovice

Prague Journal of English Studies

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

As a novelist, Louise Erdrich is unique in receiving both popular and critical acclaim. Strangely, her popular appeal has discouraged study of her novels as...

Louise Erdrich’s Place in American Literature: Narrative Innovation in Love Medicine

Published Online: Sep 17, 2016

Page range: 119 - 139

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/pjes-2016-0007

Keywords
Louise Erdrich, Narrative, American Literature, David Foster Wallace, Thomas Pynchon, Native American Literature, Love Medicine

© Faculty of Education, Charles University

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Louise Erdrich’s Place in American Literature: Narrative Innovation in Love Medicine

Published Online: Sep 17, 2016

Page range: 119 - 139

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/pjes-2016-0007

KeywordsLouise Erdrich, Narrative, American Literature, David Foster Wallace, Thomas Pynchon, Native American Literature, Love Medicine

© Faculty of Education, Charles University

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
Louise Erdrich, Narrative, American Literature, David Foster Wallace, Thomas Pynchon, Native American Literature, Love Medicine