Going to War & Responsibility

Why do you think Christine wants Lee to go to war so badly? I wonder if she wanted him killed or if she really had his best future interests in mind. On the other hand, Lee is vehemently opposed to the war, saying “I’m not going to fight a white man’s war” (163). Was Lee obligated to serve in the war? Do you think the United States deserved to have Lee fight for them? And I wonder what happened that made him change his mind. Why did he end up enlisting? How would you handle Lee's situation?

Double Consciousness

On page 186 in A Yellow Raft in Blue Water, there is a passage where Christine remarks, “My baby, not me, recorded the jokes Elgin's new friends made about his Indian squaw and how he had got himself scalped before his last stand." Christine continues to describe Ray's exposure to Elgin’s and his friends' comments. We talked a lot about the idea of ‘Double Consciousness’ and forming your identity based on others’ opinions of you. I’m interested with how you all feel about Elgin’s role in Ray’s identity. Re-read the first full paragraph on page 186 and let me know what you think. Do you think Elgin’s attitudes affected Ray’s identity? How do you think members of minority cultures internalize the views of the majority?