Pushing the Bear: A Novel of the Trail of Tears

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1996

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-2

Chapter 3

Chapters 4-5

Chapter 6

Chapters 7-8

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Symbols & Motifs

The Bear

Throughout the novel, the motif of the bear represents the Cherokee people’s desire to survive, and it also alludes to a traditional Cherokee myth in which the Cherokee people forget their origins and turn into bears. This story illustrates how their greed caused them to shed their human bodies. The recurring bear imagery therefore illustrates the importance of preserving culture and unity despite the harsh conditions and destruction of the Trail of Tears. In the story of the bear, the Cherokee people turn into animals because they have lived “without any connections” and “forgot [they] had a language” and “how to speak” (176). Having lost a sense of community and connection to the Earth, the Cherokee people in the myth also lose their humanity. Glancy utilizes this myth to illustrate the Cherokee people’s motivation to maintain a connection with each other and counteract their displacement from their homes.

Maritole has her own abstract interpretation of the bear; she sees the bear as restricting her from moving forward, and she physically feels as though a bear is holding her back and crushing her. This feeling extends to her perceptions of other characters as well, as she states, “I felt there was a dark presence over us. The bear we pushed would not move away. Each day I felt his ragged fur. Sometimes I could smell his breath” (80). Here, Maritole reflects on the temptation of giving in to the bear and allowing it to take over. In this example, the ominous mention of a “dark presence” illustrates her desire to stay away from it due to the foreboding tone. However, by the end of the novel, Maritole realizes that the influence of the bear lies in all of them, and she understands the importance of fighting against the loss of their heritage. When she claims, “No one was free of the bear” (183), she recognizes that it is up to her and her community to fight against the metaphorical bear finding ways to preserve their culture. At the same time, the bear symbolizes the continued fight against governmental policies that the Cherokee Nation will have to endure even after the Trail of Tears is over.

Corn

As the primary source of food for the Cherokee people, corn plays an important role in the novel and serves as a motif for the loss of their land and their culture. Many of the characters liken themselves to corn. For example, Knobowtee states, “I looked at the long line of walking people behind me like kernels on a cob of corn” (62). Likewise, Maritole’s father claims that the Cherokee people are made of corn, asserting, “We can’t live without corn. It’s our bodies. Our lives” (79). The corn therefore feeds the Cherokee people and represents the core of their culture. Within traditional Cherokee stories, the deity Selu gave corn to the Cherokee people. Now, with the loss of their land, the people worry that their connection to the earth is severed because they do not have access to their corn. Many of the characters worry that the lack of corn in the new territory will cause them to lose their collective identity. The use of corn imagery also illustrates the matriarchal aspect of Cherokee society through the myth of Selu, who was killed by her sons. When her blood fell to the ground, corn grew in its place. Traditionally, Cherokee women oversaw agriculture, and land was passed down through women. Therefore, corn represents the foundation of the Cherokee culture. The Green Corn Ceremony at harvest time also represents the beginning of a new year.

Musket

The image of the musket symbolizes Knobowtee’s loss of masculinity and identity as he attempts to recover his sense of self. At the beginning of the novel, Knobowtee desires to have his musket on the Trail of Tears, especially since he has lost his farm. With his musket, Knobowtee would be able to maintain an aspect of his traditional identity because Cherokee men are the ones who hunt to provide food for their community. However, the loss of his musket due to the theft of his home represents the loss of Knobowtee’s identity, and he struggles to redefine his sense of self without this symbol of his purpose and value in the community.

Later in the novel, Knobowtee’s decision to take the musket from Maritole’s father illustrates his desire to regain his sense of self even as the presiding white soldiers prevent him from doing so. As he states, “I took the musket, but a soldier yelled at me. The younger men weren’t allowed to carry muskets” (133). By denying the young Cherokee men access to muskets, the white soldiers enforce their control and rob the Cherokee men of their pride and identity. Embittered by this control tactic, Knobowtee feels powerless in the knowledge that he is at the mercy of the white soldiers and the United States government.