1. Characters
1.1. Main Characters
1.1.1. Xavier
1.1.1.1. Protagonist
1.1.1.1.1. Narrator
1.1.1.1.2. Spends Childhood in residential school
1.1.1.1.3. Joins Canadian Army
1.1.2. Niska
1.1.2.1. Xaviers Aunt
1.1.2.1.1. Archetypal Mentor
1.1.2.1.2. Also a narrator
1.1.3. Elijah
1.1.3.1. Xaviers best friend
1.1.3.2. Spent childhood in residential school
1.1.3.3. Turns into Antagonist
1.1.3.3.1. Tries to fit in the army
2. Summary
2.1. Day One
2.1.1. Xavier arrives to see Niska Alive
2.1.1.1. make their way to Niskas home
2.1.1.1.1. Niska Recounts her childhood
2.1.1.1.2. Xavier remembers things from before/ beginning of the war
2.2. Day Two
2.2.1. Niska recounts more stories
2.2.2. Xavier remembers more from the war
2.2.2.1. Remembers changes Elijah is experiencing
2.2.2.1.1. Wendigo (symbolic)
2.3. Day Three
2.3.1. Xavier is wounded so he takes morphine
2.3.1.1. Recounts how he got injured
2.3.1.1.1. trying to help Elijah but is forced to kill him because he went mad
2.4. Follows 2 stories at once
2.4.1. Xavier and Niska on their Three Day Journey
2.4.2. Follows Xavier and Elijah in their journey through war
3. Themes
3.1. Main Themes
3.1.1. Dehumanization
3.1.1.1. Experienced by both Aboriginals and white people
3.1.1.1.1. White people in war
3.1.1.1.2. Aboriginals are treated as lesser and are taken from their homes
3.1.2. Colonialism
3.1.2.1. The relationship between the white people and the aboriginal people is shown to be highly toxic
3.1.2.1.1. Niska gets used by a Frenchman for sex but she does the same thing to him
3.1.2.1.2. The soldiers Xavier and Elijah meet are generally prejudice against them
3.2. Side Themes
3.2.1. Tradition
3.2.2. Identity as an aboriginal
4. Symbols
4.1. recuring symbols
4.1.1. Wendigo
4.1.1.1. These are people that have resorted to eating humans
4.1.1.1.1. Shown through Niskas story
4.1.1.1.2. Symbolic of Elijahs transformation/ dehumanization
4.1.2. Three Day Road
4.1.2.1. Symbolizes Xaviers journey to death/ Niska's canoe journey
4.1.3. Addiction
4.1.3.1. Symbolizes an escape from pain
4.1.3.1.1. Emotional
4.1.3.1.2. Physical