Develop a thesis based on the broad topic of “Memory” and the role of memory in the construction of Will’s self-identity in Medicine River

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Since childhood, thinking, and remembering things are inherent to us. It is a skill that we are born with and not just any learned skill. Every little detail that we notice, we unconsciously put it in the back of our mind. However, this doesn’t last until our entire life. As humans, we can’t think and remember every detail of our daily life from our first breath down to our last. It is inevitable to forget things that happened long ago.
Memories shape who we are as humans. Humans unconsciously record every tiny detail that one can see, hear, or do every day. What you experience during childhood won’t be fully remembered into your adulthood, but the feeling when you’re in that situation will stay with you. The knowledge and feeling of getting burned after playing with fire when you were still 4 years old will stay with you until you’re 24 years old, yet the details of how it happened or when it happened will be forgotten. This is how memories make us who we are. This paper will discuss and show how memories shape one’s identity in the book Medicine River and The Wars.
Thomas King’s Medicine River tells the story of a boy named Will Sampson who is born and raised in the town of Medicine River. He left to build a career for himself and became a successful photographer. He returns to his hometown for the death of his mother. Will does not have any recollection about his father. In the book, there were several times in which Will refers to a day in which he sneaked into his mother’s room just to read the letters that were sent by his father to his mother. It can be observed how the protagonist, Will, constantly thinks about his childhood memories. He used to think about his father and how he spent his childhood without a father figure. He spent his days without any man having to look up to. It is instilled to children that the father in the family is the one who would teach you how to become a man as this is based on their experience – manhood being passed down from one generation to another. However, this is lacking in Will’s life. Will grew up, learning all the skills that he needed as a man by himself (Christie).
When his mother was still alive, his mother, Rose, disapproves of Will reading the exchange of letters that took place between her and his father. She does not want Will to know anything about his father despite his longing for a father and to have a better understanding of the man that was absent both physically and emotionally throughout his life. As a result, his self-identity was shaped by his mother, the people around him, and his community (Christie).
When Harlan said “Most of us figured that, with your mother and all, you’d be coming home soon,” Will felt a tightening in his stomach hearing the word home. He cannot relate Medicine River as his home since they were forced to leave the community when he was still young. Upon returning to his hometown for the funeral of his mother, he got to spend his time with his best friend, Harlan. He set up his own business with the help of his best friend who also encouraged him to join the Medicine River Friendship Center Warriors as a replacement for the player who is unable to join the team. Through this, he was integrated more into the community. During his visit, he falls for an accountant named Louise Heavyman whom he becomes invested in along with her daughter from another man. Several murders touched the community of Medicine River during the stay of Will. Until the end of the novel, Will never find out anything about his father but ended up with Louise. He is also torn about his identity as a half-Blackfoot man (Christie).
Throughout the novel, the character of Will was developed through his memories, through the people he spent his time with, and through the community. The character development of Will coincides with the theme of the novel which focuses on Will’s resurrection. This is noticeable as the events unfold upon his return, catching up with his old buddies, dating a white woman, and building his career as a photographer as he was integrated more deeply into the community of Medicine River. His quest for identity was influenced by all these factors along with his appreciation of his Native roots.
As a critical reflection of two world wa...