Pushing the Bear: A Novel of the Trail of Tears

At this point in the novel, the characters are not only exhausted, but they are also attempting to hold onto as much hope as they can, and to this end, they rely heavily on Storytelling as a Form of Remembrance and Healing. Just as Maritole did in “Illinois,” Knobowtee now utilizes his relationship with the land to make sense of the forced resettlement. When thinking of his experiences, he must reconcile the reality that in the same world that allowed a man’s hands to be “burned to the bone, yet there was a Great Spirit who protected” (207). These conflicting images create confusion and distrust for Knobowtee and many others as they attempt to understand why they were forced from their homes. As Knobowtee and Maritole’s marital tensions continue, Maritole’s father attempts to heal the rift between them by claiming that the trail cannot prevent Knobowtee from being Maritole’s husband. With this statement, Maritole’s father implies that the Trail of Tears cannot fundamentally alter who the Cherokee people are, nor can it sever their connection to each other. The wisdom in this comment reflects a deep faith in The Importance of Community.

 As they get closer to arriving in the new territory, the landscape begins to reflect a sense of renewal, and the characters likewise reconcile with each other. When Maritole claims that they “pushed south toward the edge of Arkansas in the early spring thaw” and were hindered by the mud (217), Glancy utilizes the image of a “spring thaw” to depict the opportunity for renewal and rebirth as they near the end of the trail. At the same time, the image of the mud symbolizes the harsh realities that continue to plague their community, serving as a reminder that despite this new sign of hope, the Cherokee people are still at the mercy of the white settlers and the United States government. When they arrive in Oklahoma, Quaty Lewis observes that the oak trees are “a different kind of oak than [they’d] had in North Carolina, but they would sound the old truth of the pines” (229). Thus, although Quaty recognizes the differences between the new territory and her old home, her urge to engage with the land remains undiminished and puts forth a note of cautious optimism. When she feels “the need to make cornmeal bread” (229), this desire also implies a sense of hope and possibility. Thus, these conflicting images convey the conflicting emotions of the characters, who mourn the loss of their homeland even amidst their relief that the grueling journey is finally over.

The end of the novel deliberately mirrors the opening of the first chapter, for just as Maritole was forced from the cabin that was rightfully hers, she now sits on the steps of a new cabin and faces a different life. These mirrored images symbolize the completion of her journey even as Maritole sifts through the bitterness of her conflicting emotions. At the beginning of the novel, Maritole plays on the cabin steps with her daughter, but at the end of the novel, her morose posture implies a deep sadness and loss that even The Importance of Community in her new setting will never be able to fully assuage. Specifically, the image of Maritole sitting “on the cabin steps with [her] head in [her] hands” simultaneously illustrates her deep grief and her resignation to her current situation (233). She has been forced from her grandmother’s cabin, in which she and her daughter contentedly dwelled, and she must now inhabit a “hurriedly” built cabin that leaks and holds no connection to her past life. Faced with this grim reality, Maritole recognizes just how much her life has changed due to the baleful influence of the United States government.