The showdown incident in Mean Spirit represents a confluence of cultures, just as it reveals the "clear bands of color" in a prism. The diverse group of individuals that gather at the Sorrow Cave are prisms as well: windows into different worldviews. The core characters do come together in a spirit of mutual understanding and agreement about ethical righteousness. Each of these characters represents strength and courage in the face of formidable obstacles.
For Musher, Hogan's point-of-view makes perfect sense. Indeed, it would take a radically conservative Christian to disagree with Hogan's assessment of the colonial experience. Father Dunne, and Musher's analysis of his character, become more important in light of the lack of Christian perspective that Musher represents. Hogan seems to understand that the Indian experience was a fundamental clash of cultures. The indigenous worldview was one that denied materialism, while at the same time celebrating the pleasures of the body.
Musher does not spend enough time on gender, even though the author acknowledges Hogan's awareness of female Indian identity. Belle Graycloud is described as "an Osage matriarch, one of the important tribal elders in the novel, a woman who has thus far successfully negotiated the difficulties of living in both the Indian world and the white world." Belle is portrayed in Hogan's novel as being "batty," and Musher makes sure to point out the pun.
Yet gender issues do not weigh heavily in Musher's analysis. Likewise, Musher misses out on the eerie parallel between the Native American genocide and the Jewish genocide in the early 20th century in Europe. Musher mentions the moment during which the white residents wanted to "gas the cave" without pointing out the holocaust imagery. This parallel would have made sense in light of Musher's thesis.
In spite of these omissions, Musher's explication of Hogan's novel is enlightening. Belle is portrayed as the quintessentially misunderstood matriarch, whose determination and prowess are perceived as insanity due to outmoded gender norms and culture clashes. Belle deserves respect, and she...
Musher emphasizes the differences between the European and Native American worldview in terms of religion, nature, and ethics. In particular, Native Americans view nature as an extension of the self and therefore something to be respected. The Christian Europeans view nature as something to be dominated. Using the showdown as the symbolic moment, Musher invites controversial readings of the text. After all, bats are perceived as vampires and as evil creatures.
The use of bat symbolism is the key to understanding Musher's analysis. Bats symbolize the Native Americans because of two main reasons. The bats dwell within the Sorrow Cave and are therefore connected to the emotional heart of humanity. They accept sensory deprivation and indeed thrive in it. Bats have a collective identity rather than an individualist outlook such as the one promoted by the white European. Musher also notes that bats cross over from one world to the next. Like the Native Americans, the bats are viewed as being primitive and evil out of pure prejudice. Musher's thesis encapsulates the core message of Linda Hogan's novel.
One of the most notable aspects of Musher's essay is the fact that the author understands the diversity of the Native American culture. Not once does Musher make the mistake of lumping all Native Americans together. In fact, Musher uses the Sorrow Cave incident to explain the various ways Native Americans perceive themselves, each other, white people, and nature. The different characters that Musher describes in the essay represent different aspects of Native American life. Father Dunne is the most captivating character in Musher's analysis. Because Father Dunne was a former missionary priest entrusted with converting the Native Americans to Christianity, he more than any other character offers a message of hope. Native Americans offer an alternative perspective that embraces nature. It is, Musher points out, possible to synthesize the Christian with the Native American worldview.
Work Cited
Musher, Andrea. "Showdown at Sorrow Cave: Bat Medicine and the Spirit of Resistance in Mean Spirit."
