Essay Questions

What was the historical context of Winter in the Blood?

The idea and theme of the Winter in the Blood was derived from the black power and civil rights movements of 1960s. The Native Americans during the 1960s and 1970s became more and more aware of their economic conditions. They tried so hard to improve their prevailing conditions. They also became very much conscious of their culture and heritage. A band of almost two hundred native Indians captured the Alcatraz Island. The protested against the Indian Reservation situation. In the social economical ladder, the natives had the worst place among all the other minorities. According to the statistics, in the year 1973, over 33 percent native Americans were unemployed.

Give an overview of the character of the Grandmother.

When the book opens, we get to know that the grandmother is an old, senile, blind woman. She almost never talks. She lives with the unnamed narrator, Teresa (Narrator's mother) and Lame Bull. In her young age, she used to be a beautiful woman. She married Standing Bear. After the death of Bear, all the fleet started to scorn her. At that time Yellow Calf took care of her. He fed her, brought food for her during the harsh winter. It is because of him that she could survive the winters. For years, the narrator and everyone of the family knew that his grandmother lived alone for twenty five years after the death of Bear. The truth is revealed towards the end. Yellow Calf is the real grandfather of the narrator. This made him so happy. He was filled with self-respect and pride that he was not the grandson of a half-breed.

How does the story end in Winter in the Blood, and why is this ending significant?

The story ends with a happy and positive note for sure. The narrator is jubilant to have found out that Yellow Calf is his real grandfather. He is after all the grandson of a pure-breed. He wondered how they were able to conceal the truth for so long. The grandmother is buried in their personal property. The narrator starts to plan his future. He decides to see a doctor for his knee. He even plans to reconcile with Agnes, his past girlfriend. He even plans to get married.