The Hero's Journey in "Tracks"

In my first post, I stated my question as focusing on the main character. Unfortunately, in Louise Erdrich’s Tracks, there is no “main character.” The book revolves around a set of main characters from the Anishinabe tribe, all with their own individual plotlines. However, Fleur Pillager represents the hero in many ways, and goes on multiple journeys throughout the Hero’s Journey

1. Departure
1. The call to adventure – I would argue that the call of the adventure for Fleur, and the whole tribe, is the arrival of the white people. They’re called to stay with their past and their heritage.
2. Refusal of the Call – Many of them reject their heritage and give into the white people’s demands, and refuse the call to stand up for themselves.
3. Supernatural Aid – The supernatural aid is presented in Fleur’s powers and the lake monster, Misshepeshu.
4. Crossing the Threshold – The threshold was crossed when Fleur went to Argus on her own.
5. Belly of the Whale – When Fleur is in Argus, she is in the belly of the whale. She has no help and is surrounded by the corruption of the white land.
2. Initiation
1. The Road of Trials – While in Argus, Fleur goes through many trials, like the ridicule from the townspeople she receives. In addition, she is raped for beating the mean in poker.
2. The meeting with the Goddess – I would not say that Fleur meets with a goddess, but we do not know as we never see from her point of view.
3. Woman as Temptress – Pauline could be considered a temptress. She turns away from her Native American traditions very quickly, and attempts to convince all of the tribe to do the same.
4. Atonement with the Father – Upon returning to the reservation, Fleur meets with Nanapush. Nanapush raised Fleur, and is the only father figure she has.
5. Apotheosis – When Fleur takes the money from the men in Argus and brings it back to the reservation, she is brought higher than them and ascends.
6. The Ultimate Boon – The boon is the land Fleur buys back from the white people, and gets to live on. The Pillager land is the boon for Fleur.
3. Return
1. Refusal of the Return – Later in the book, the white agents are attempting to take the land back from everyone, including Fleur, but she refuses.
2. The Magic Flight – Fleur really doesn’t take any sort of magic flight that I can think of.
3. Rescue from the Without – She destroys all the trees surrounding her home, crushing the white workers and their equipment.
4. The Crossing of the Return Threshold – She crosses the return threshold after she denounces the Kashpaws for their selfishness.
5. Master of the Two Worlds –Throughout the book, Fleur seems as she’s a master of both the worlds of mortality and immortality. She has godly powers but is just a woman.
6. Freedom to Live. – Fleur represents the tribe in their freedom to live, albeit different. They’ll never have the home the way it was, although she is living.

So is Fleur a hero? Maybe less steps are followed than Oedipus, but yes, she is a hero. She represents a majority of the tribes in America that were taken by the white people.