Three Day Road By Joseph Boyden PDF

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Summary of the 4th section of the book Three Day Road...

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Three Day Road- Section 4 Analysis Part A: Passage Analysis The following passage is stated by Xavier in the chapter Flying, in which he administers his last syringe of morphine and slips into dreams of war. In this hallucination, Elijah is awarded an award for his bravery in carrying a badly injured Thompson back to the Canadian lines during a raid on German trenches. Also, after he caught Xavier trying to give him morphine during his sleep, Elijah accuses his friend of taking the medicine as well. In response, Xavier explains that he too struggles like every soldier in this war and states the following: “We all fight on two fronts, the one facing the enemy, the one facing what we do to the enemy” (326). This quote is significant because it displays the struggle of soldiers who fought in WWI. During this war, soldiers had to fight two battles: the physical one, in which men on opposing sides hunted each other to survive, and the internal one, which comes from taking another man’s life. Xavier describes his effort to cope with killing Hun soldiers, as he is overwhelmed by guilt and grief by such actions. Even when he is lucky enough to survive fighting in No Man’s Land, he is still consumed with remorse felt over his victims. Although Xavier acknowledges the importance of the “shoot or be shot” mentality in war, he still feels uneasy over sniping other men. Part B: Elijah’s Transformation Early in the novel, Niska states, “War touches everyone, and windigos spring from the earth” (49). This quote foreshadows the change in Elijah’s character, as he adopts the characteristics of the mythical creature Windigo. The fourth section of the novel depicts his physical and mental transformation, which is fueled by his addiction for morphine and killing men. The first example of Elijah’s change in character takes place in the chapter Feeding, in which him and Xavier are sent as advance scouts in the ruins of Passchendaele. After taking out a lone soldier who was firing shots at them from a crumbled building, Xavier searches the house while his friend partakes in scalping the dead

Hun. While searching the place, Bird stumbles upon a young girl and her mother hiding. Out of fear, the child attacks Xavier, only to be shot by Elijah who walked in on them. When asked to justify his actions by his partner, Whiskeyjack coldly states, “I am trained not to hesitate in situations of danger” (306). This morbid passage shows how unaware Elijah is of the consequences that come from taking one’s life. A man in the right mindset could have identified Xavier’s attacker as a scared young child, however Elijah was quick to pull the trigger. He is so consumed by war that he does not feel any remorse for the little girl, explaining that he was just fulfilling his role as a soldier. Another instance which shows Elijah’s transformation is his horrifying habit of skinning his victims. On the night of New Year’s Eve, Elijah goes out looking for the Frenchmen who had previously advised him to collect the scalps of his enemies. Xavier is uneasy about his best friend’s ritual as he says “He collects them like pelts. His pack is full” (308). Elijah’s grotesque behaviour affects those around him, as seen by Xavier’s growing concern for his friend, who describes him as “someone I no longer know” (308). Finally, Whiskeyjack admits to having an addiction for killing men. In the chapter The Letter, Elijah asks Xavier to divine the shoulder blade of a Fritz soldier. Xavier is disturbed at his friend’s request, explaining that hunting humans is not the same as hunting animals. To this, Elijah adds, “I have found the one thing I am truly talented at, and that is killing men. I do not need food when I have this” (320). Elijah’s quote depicts how truly desperate he is for murdering soldiers of the opposing side. He adopts the attributes of the cannibalistic creature windigo, as the act of killing provides him the same nourishment as food does. It is obvious at this point in the novel that Elijah has reached a point of no return, as he isolates himself from those who care for him in order to fulfill his bloodthirsty desires....