The Loons Hamburger Paragraph 1

In this short story, the Metis (specifically Piquette) are represented by the loons. Piquette Tonnerre demonstrates the story of how, like an animal species, a cultural group can be wiped out. At 13, she leads a terrible life – crippled by tuberculosis in one leg, disregarded by the family she works for, and having been deserted by her mother. Some of these issues are ultimately caused by the society’s disdain for half-breeds like herself. Piquette’s comparison to the loons becomes more evident as the story progresses. Piquette and the loons are people shy, and as we learn more about the characteristics of the loon, we are better able to understand what is going on inside Piquette’s mind. Both also suffer from an impotence to change environments. Piquette, having grown up in an Indian family is unable to escape from the society’s view of her. Similarly the loons are cannot adapt to a change in environment or human invasion. A large part of the story takes place by a lake, which is the home of a group of loons. The invasion by humans of the loon’s habitat is representing the invasion of Europeans on Indian land. Near the end of the story both Piquette and the loons attempt to adjust to their new “societies”. The loons continue to live close to human invasion, and Piquette takes on European ways, and marries a white man. However, in the end, both are unsuccessful and return to their original ways of life.