Includes insights into indian culture and beliefs, contains some magical realism, humor, and is a bit of a murder mystery. Their fortunes attracted the attention of corrupt lawyers, oilmen. Mean spirit s central theme is the recognition that the survival of indian culture is dependent on the survival of the natural world. Despite its lack of real suspense, then, an unusual and intriguing debut. Jan 31, 2015 linda hogan details the true story of indian exploitation in oklahoma once oil was discovered. Mean spirit by linda hogan traces the real, overwhelming and ultimately lifechanging events which follow the discovery of oil in the osage indian territory, oklahoma in the 1920s. When oil was discovered on indian land in oklahoma, the osage tribe quickly became one of the richest communities in the entire country. Analysis and discussion of characters in linda hogans mean spirit.
Her other honors include an american book award and a guggenheim fellowship. Author and noted poet linda hogans debut historical novel, mean spirit 1991, is set in watona, oklahoma, in 1922. Linda hogan, a chickasaw writer with a fine reputation as a poet. Linda hogan s words are powerful, and mean spirit demonstrates this most admirably. There is a multitude of characters that accompany this story. In mean spirit, hogan uses silence and mystery to convey oppression and marginalization of native indians. Mean spirit, a large historical novel with an impressive cast of characters, follows the fate of two osage indian families, the grayclouds and the. She has been the recipient of, among other awards, an nea, a minnesota arts board grant, a lannan award, and a guggenheim fellowship. Silence, absence, and mystery in linda hogans mean spirit, solar. If there is a sparknotes, shmoop, or cliff notes guide, we will have it listed here. Linda hogan, a chickasaw writer with a fine reputation as a poet, has chosen as the subject of her first novel the oklahoma oil boom of the 1920s. Mean spirit by linda hogan evokes an astonishingly real sense of loss as the. Mean spirit is a book about the osage tribe during the oklahoma oil boom.
Linda hogan s poetry and essay background is apparent in the succinctness of her settings, plot, and characters. Linda hogan details the true story of indian exploitation in oklahoma once oil was discovered. Linda hogan, a native american and ecofeminism, a renowned writer. Linda hogan was a finalist for the pulitzer prize for her novel mean spirit. Mean spirit, hogan joins writers such as louise erdrich, james welch, and leslie silko as one of this countrys principal american indian storytellers. Mean spirit lyrical and yet disturbing orlando sentinel. In her first novel, linda hogan has created an intricate tale of deceit, greed and murder set in. Sixteenyearold omishita eaton and her adoptive aunt ama, the main characters of chickasaw indian hogan s solar storms thoughtprovoking.
The osage characters are in a terrible and vulnerable position after the discovery of oil under their lands. Mean spirit linda hogan 1990 our story takes place on an oilrich native american town, called watona, on a reservation in oklahoma. Silence, absence, and mystery in linda hogans mean spirit. The discovery of oil and the subsequent intrusion of whites into the indian life of watona initiates the deterioration of the community. It is the first novel by chickasaw author linda hogan. Recent books are rounding the human corners, a pulitzer nominee, and people of the whale, also a pulitzer finalist. The book ends with a vision of flames rising up to a reddened sky as the central characters, the grayclouds. Meanwhile, the indians efforts to influence events through the spirit world, their evertightening circle of defense, and their steady dread of the fate they fully expect to overtake them evoke a brutal time and place in american history, giving this tale an odd beauty. The politics of the border in linda hogans mean spirit jstor. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers all about mean spirit by linda hogan.
She is currently the chickasaw nation s writer in residence. Linda hogan chickasaw is an internationally recognized public speaker and author of poetry, fiction, and essays. I am interested in the deepest questions, those of spirit, of shelter, of growth and movement toward peace and liberation, inner and outer. Author and noted poet linda hogans debut historical novel, mean spirit 1991, is set in. Hogan born 1947 denver is a native american poet, storyteller, academic, playwright, novelist, environmentalist and writer of short stories. This short film is planned for release in 2018 by modern.
Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Buy a cheap copy of mean spirit book by linda hogan. Rollins college, 2003 a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements. Born in denver, linda hogan is a poet, environmentalist, academic, and writer of eighteen texts, including novels and collections of poetry. Her characters at first are silent due to oppression and later, silent in order to heal. Click to read more about mean spirit by linda hogan. Her novels fully based on the problems of native americans, particularly mean spirit she discussed in an elaborate way and women also combined together nature and themselves with an effective way. The ostensible aim of linda hogans first novel, mean spirit, is to unveil the historical.
Wilson comments in his book the underground reserva tion. Linda hogan early in this century, rivers of oil were found beneath oklahoma land belonging to indian people, and beautiful grace banket became the richest person in the territory. If you take up no other novel this year, or next, this one will suffice to hold, to disturb, to enlighten and to. Through the lens of both the law and the oil rush hogans characters are beaten. Project muse intertextual twins and their relations. A poet, novelist, screenwriter, and playwright, hogan writes about topics related to the experiences of native americans as well as the relationship between humans and the environment. Written in 1990, linda hogan s mean spirit gives a fictionalized account of the famous osage indian murders of the 1920s. The course of the story extends from 1918 to the midtwenties. Mean spirit, a first novel by chickasaw poet and teacher linda hogan is no exception.
Find all available study guides and summaries for mean spirit by linda hogan. Mean spirit, the first novel by this acclaimed poet and essayist, is a tragedy in the most profound sense. Summary edit mean spirit is a murder mystery set during an era known as the osage murders, in osage indian territory in oklahoma in the 1920s. Mean spirit characters some of the main characters in mean spirit are belle graycloud, nola, stace red hawk, and john stink. Linda hogans mean spirit and solar storms catherine rainwater bio almost universally across cultures and time, human beings have viewed the birth of twins with awe. Mean spirits is the recognition that native americans culture relies on the survival of the natural world and can easily be corrupted by greed and obsessions to material gains. Hogan, a poet, professor and member of the chickasaw tribe, mines a rich vein of indian customs and rituals, and approaches her characters with. In her first novel, linda hogan has created an intricate tale of deceit, greed and murder set in oklahoma in the early 1920s, in the wake of an oil boom. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. She is currently the chickasaw nations writer in residence. Linda hogan chickasaw former faculty at indian arts institute, writer in residence for the chickasaw nation, and professor emerita from the university of colorado, is an internationally recognized public reader, speaker, and writer of poetry, fiction, and essays. Magical realism, spiritual realism, and ecological awareness. Native americans, racial discrimination, mean spirit.
The most common characters that the novel seems to narrate. Osage oil that for many of the white inhabitants of osage county, the tribe occupied the same category as the areas other natural resources. Written in 1990, linda hogans mean spirit gives a fictionalized account of the famous osage indian murders of the 1920s. White people were killing the osage and tribes knew they needed to stay quiet in order to stay alive. Hogan says, my writing comes from and goes back to the community, both the human and the global community. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of mean spirit by linda hogan.
When oil was discovered on indian land in oklahoma, the osage tribe. An active readers guide to mean spirit by linda hogan scalar. An overview of the characters in mean spirit by linda hogan. Minnesota in minneapolis 198284 and at colorado college. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. Mean spirit by linda hogan traces the real, overwhelming and ultimately lifechanging events which follow the discovery of oil in the osage indian territory, oklahoma. Some of the main characters in mean spirit are belle graycloud, nola, stace red hawk. How to be productive at home from a remote work veteran. The fact that many of the incidents are based on true history makes me ashamed to be an american, a white person and an oklahoman. Dark wealth in linda hogan s mean spirit alix casteel terry p. Background linda hogan chickasaw was born 16 july 1947, denver, colorado, the daughter.
Quizlet is a lightning fast way to learn vocabulary. Her acclaimed first novel, mean spirit, focused on violence in the osage indian community during the oklahoma oil boom of the 1920s. Of mixedblood chickasaw descent not osage as are the characters in mean spirit, hogan was inspired to tell the story of the great frenzy because of her fathers ancestral ties to oklahoma. An overview of the characters in mean spirit by linda hogan kibin. In this novel we cry out against the outrageous atrocities committed on the osage during the oil boom in oklahoma. I wish she would have included family trees because there are numerous characters with complicated relationships. Mean spirit summary and analysis like sparknotes free.
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