THERE THERE: BOOK REVIEW
I believe that the best way we can foster empathy for one another is by taking the time to learn about experiences that are different from our own. It’s not always socially acceptable to go out and randomly ask folks from different walks of life about their experiences. But, if you find yourself in a situation or relationship in which this is appropriate, then by all means listen. You should, however, also listen to what Tommy Orange has to say in his novel, There There.
Cheyenne and Apraho writer Tommy Orange’s There There follows a number of characters living in Oakland, all of whom are grappling with aspects of their identity. Many of them have familial ties, but lack an understanding of what that means or what it should mean to them. Layered between these separate, yet connected narratives are more general reflections on what it means to be Native, what it means to live in Oakland, and how the two both intersect and diverge.
Even the characters in the novel serve as vehicles for profound reflections on identity and what it means to be Native American. Orvil Red Feather asks his grandmother about what it means to be a member of the Cheyenne tribe and why no one has ever taught him. His grandmother says something that must ring true for many other young native folks, “...learning about your heritage is a privilege. A privilege we don’t have…. anything you hear from me about your heritage does not make you more or less Indian. More or less real Indian. Don’t let anyone tell you what being Indian means… You’re Indian because you’re Indian because you’re Indian.” This statement is equal parts reassuring and dismissive. Many of the characters we get to meet along the way are fighting to assert their heritage, their identity, and their belonging, but don’t really know how.
With every character, Orange manages to evoke a new mood and style of storytelling, matching the age and personality of each one. Orvil’s sections are usually narrated with a sense of uncertainty, being that he is a young teen just starting to become conscious of how people see him, whereas Jacquie Red Feather, an older woman battling substance abuse while working as a substance abuse counselor, generally has a snappier narration that makes her sound a little more sure of herself. Even in her uncertainty about her future, she manages to be more assertive.
I was especially struck by the narrative style in Thomas Frank’s section. Thomas Frank is a janitor who is invited to drum at the powwow. Orange’s choice to utilize second person narration directly implicates the reader, forcing us to place ourselves within the book. Orange also uses Thomas Frank’s section as an opportunity to speak to greater themes of humanity, identity, family, and relationships.
Inevitably we find that these separate stories converge on a climactic event, which is the big Oakland Powwow. Characters come to the powwow looking for different things. Some are seeking empathy to learn from the stories of others. Some are seeking the truth about who they are and who they might be. Others are seeking power over people or over their own condition and circumstance.
Using the Big Oakland Powwow as a catalyst for self discovery and loss is a powerful way to centralize the novel around what it means to be Native American. There There is a novel whose characters and what you learned from them linger long after you close the book.