choose a topic from chapter 4 from the roundhouse novel and write about this topic a response.

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Loud as a Whisper – Round House
In chapter four of the novel, the topic of roundhouse dominates the narrative. The section reveals that roundhouse was a crucial aspect of the Chippewa tradition and was still held in high regard by even the younger members of the society. When Joe leaves the house, he informs his parents that he is headed for the lake. However, Joe first goes to the round place to meet his friends Zack, Cappy, and Angus. As a result, Joe reveals that roundhouse was the place where the community members gathered to share their lives. It was a symbol of unity and a meeting point for different activities done in the community. At one point Joe states, in “pre-1978 – the roundhouse had been used for ceremonies. People pretended it was a social dance hall” (Erdrich 59). The statement shows that the Chippewa people had pride in their traditions and the roundhouse represented the platform where cultural practices were passed down through the generations.
However, Joe also reveals the dilapidated state of the round house. He notes that “air passed through the cracks in the silvery logs of the roundhouse…the grieving cry seemed emitted by the structure itself” (Erdrich 59). At this point, the readers realize that the poorly maintained round house hints at its less significance in the Chippewa society. It was neglected, and cracks had even begun to appear. In the same vein, one notices that the Chippewa people may have waned in their efforts to promote their tradition.

They seem to have been influenced by the Christian traditions brought by the Europeans. Therefore, when Joe recalls that it is at the roundhouse where his mother was raped, one almost feels the correlation between abandoning one’s culture and negative consequences. To some extent, the author tries to show that abandoning the roundhouse meant a weak social fabric which led to increased vices such as rape (Tharp 26).
Works Cited
Erdrich, Louise. The round house. Hachette UK, 2013.
Tharp, Julie. “Erdrich’s Crusade: Sexual Violence in The Round House.” Studies in American Indian Literatures 26.3 (2014): 25-40.