Jeris Swanhorst

Discovering Identity in Louise Erdrich's Master Butchers Singing Club: an Analysis Jeris Swanhorst

Louise Erdrich develops characters with complex identities in The Master Butchers Singing Club. These characters can be analyzed in terms of the impact family has on their development as individuals, as well as through the lens of parts of the psychoanalytic theories of Carl Jung. The character Fidelis is discussed in terms of the way family has influenced him, as well as the way in which he deals with the opposing forces that make up his personality. The character Delphine is better understood through Jung's theory of the persona, which provides a lens through which much of Delphine's character can be understood, particularly Delphine's tough exterior as a mask for her inner vulnerability. This book seeks to prove that Erdrich is presenting a complex picture of identity that can be viewed as a microcosm for the oppositions and complexities that exist for humanity in a larger sense and will benefit literary scholars in the field of American Literature.