Artistic works of Native Americans as a chronicle of their ethnic culture (based on the novel “The Round House” by Karen Louise Erdrich)

This article is devoted to the consideration of the peculiarities of Native Americans’ culture, which are reflected in the novel “The Round House” by Karen Louise Erdrich. Like other authors belonging to certain ethnic groups, L. Erdrich not only depicts individual characters and events that happen to them, but also reveals the cultural experience of her ethnic group and tries to recreate its identity. The writer’s interest in the problems of identity requires of the researcher of her text, whose aim is to determine the specifics of Indian self-identification, to use not only traditional methods (biographical, cultural-historical, comparative), but also to rely on interdisciplinary approach. Therefore, the theory of “the peoplehood matrix” elaborated by cultural scientists was used to analyse the novel. The constituent components of the theory – language; sacred history; territory / place; ceremonial cycle – have become landmarks in the interpretation of the text. Each of these components is represented to varying degrees in the novel under consideration, some are implemented through a system of characters and basic motifs, some (primarily language) do not receive due attention for a number of reasons. However, together they become a reliable source of information about the specifics of life and everyday routine of Native Americans, about their culture and help readers to understand their worldview. Due to the fact that this layer of American literature began to be studied relatively recently (in the late 1970s in the works of Aleksandr Vashchenko), its further consideration contributes to the formation of a more profound understanding of the literature of the USA.