Chapter 1 Cont.

As the first chapter of Erdrich's novel comes to a close with Fidelis' foray onto American soil, I am struck by the singular discipline with which he carries himself. It is the strength and determination characteristic of many European immigrants who came here with the proverbial "six dollars in their pocket." Fidelis seems to be bothered by nothing: not by the strong feeling of separation from his new love, the hunger that gnaws at him, the slow disappearance of his sausages and the even slower filling of his pockets. Could it be that he is so strong and confident that he feels not the slightest bit of apprehension? But that is just the kind of man Fidelis is; and perhaps given the alternative of the post-war poverty that many Europeans faced, anything seems promising in this new land. And, as Erdrich points out on pg. 13, "He didn't know that he would never leave. Fidelis simply thought that he would have to stay here, and work here, using the tools of his trade, until he made enough money to travel on to the destination he'd picked out..."