"Fleur" provides an excellent introduction to the body of Erdrich's work. But it is such a tightly focused work that it also rewards rereading and analysis. One of its narrative strategies, the choice of Pauline as the sole voice in the story and through whose eyes the action is made known, could serve as the starting point for discussing the story.

1. How do we learn about Fleur? What is the source of our information? What are the implications for a reader's knowledge of character and action of Erdrich's choice of point of view?

2. List all of the specific details that relate to the setting of the story. What is the consequence of such a dense layering of facts about the physical and cultural context of the story?

3. Fleur and Pauline are both Ojibwe. In what ways does Erdrich raise the issues of ethnic prejudice and its...