I just read the book so I'm a much-later bloomer than you were. I also believe the author portrayed the characters as they were for a good reason.Jkhorner wrote: ↑04 Mar 2018, 20:55 I read this book in February so I’m a little late to the discussion - but I submit that not only is Myra unnecessary, but so is William. Hear me out:
William is supposed to be the most native-like, and Myra the most enthusiastic about her history. But Tom also had native blood, and cared to some extent about his history: all three of the main adults are tall stubborn outdoorsmen with native heritage. I think they were all pretty shallow characters, but if you combined all of their traits into one person - Tom - then you’d have a far more complex character and the story could focus on his growing relationship with his granddaughter. I don’t care if Sarah and Myra get along. I don’t care if Sarah and William get along. I just want Tom and Sarah to grow alongside one another and Tom can be the one to share their native heritage with Sarah.
So Myra as a separate character didn’t need to exist, though certainly some of her traits should be retained.
Was Myra Necessary In The Story
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Re: Was Myra Necessary In The Story
"To err is human; to forgive, divine."-Alexander Pope
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I also hoped that something will patch up the relationship between Sarah and her grandfather, and I have to give the credit for it to Myra, among others.Clinical1 wrote: ↑06 Mar 2018, 17:33 Myra served as the liaison between Sarah's youth and the two older men. She helped Sarah to relate to her grandfather and to William. Sarah's experience currently living with and working with those on the reservation gave credibility to the Indian beliefs.
She was very necessary.
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It's a relief, indeed, that Myra was there to help patch things up.
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Myra was all of that and more, indeed. She's a necessary ingredient to make the recipe work.KLafser wrote: ↑12 Mar 2018, 15:04 Absolutely! For the reasons stated above as kind of a go between for Sarah and her grandfather as well as to represent the interest of the native people. Yes, Tom had native blood but he hadn't explored it and didn't have the pride of the people that Myra (and William) had. The comment that perhaps William was not necessary sat with me a moment and I could almost agree but if he's not there, who tempers Myra in the main body of the story. I don't think it would have worked without him providing that calming factor.
I also think Myra was necessary to challenge Sergei's point of view. It would have been too neat to bring Sergei along and easily tie up Sarah's story. He needed to be a true scientist focused on data, argue with Myra, and hear Sarah's story to consider a new theory.
Just my thoughts - I love the discussion and very much enjoyed the book.
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That's interesting. Something needs to start somewhere, indeed. Part of me would like to give Myra's theories and assumptions a fighting chance, too.
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Yes, I completely agree with you! Moreover, Myra was my favorite character in the story.Espie wrote: ↑27 May 2018, 19:34I also agree with the importance of Myra's role in balancing situations and filling in the gaps of and for the other characters. Our ability and decisions in coping with what life's would have for us are influenced by several factors, including but not limited to situations and intentions.Kuolettava wrote: ↑30 Jan 2018, 14:59 Myra is important to this story. I don’t think any of what happened would have happened as smoothly were it not for her. I know that there was a lot of conflict in the group, but Myra was a great mediator between Sarah and Tom specifically. She helped give Sarah a grounding point so she could adjust easier to the vastly different environment from what she was used to.
Myra was also a crucial part of not only helping Sergei cope with the loss of his father, but for William coping with the loss of a dear friend. While Sergei had someone to challenge him, William had someone who helped to keep the balance between what he had lost and what he had left.
Personally, I don’t think the author handled grief very well, but the effort is clearly there.