Literary Techniques
- Hyperbole
- Foreshadowing
- Irony
"I felt cold and hot at the same time as I recognized the man. "
- Most of the Medicine Bag takes place in Martin's house/neighborhood in Iowa.
- The last paragraph takes place in the Rosebud reservation, in South Dakota. Martin goes there to put a piece of sacred sage into his medicine bag.
Climax
- Martin is told that he will be given the medicine bag
- His great-grandfather tells him about the history of the medicine bag
Falling Action
Rising Action
- Martin's grandfather gives him the medicine bag
- Martin's great-grandfather appears on his street
- Martin learns how and why he got there
- Martin's friends all gather around to see his great-grandpa
"He placed the soft leather bag in my right hand and closed my other hand over it."
Exposition
Resolution
- We learn that Martin's family is Sioux
- We get introduced to the characters
- Setting, as well as points of view are introduced
- Martin puts the sacred sage in his medicine bag
"My kid sister Cheryl and I always bragged about our Sioux grandpa, Joe Iron Shell."
The themes in the Medicine Bag are:
Stereotyping
Cultural Assimilation
" 'It would not be right to wear it in this time and place, where no one will understand.' "
The characters in the Medicine Bag are:
- Martin, the protagonist of the story
- Cheryl, his sister
- Joe Iron Shell, his great-grandfather
- his mother, Marie (last name unknown)
- His friends (briefly mentioned)
- His Iron Shell, his great-grandfather's father (briefly mentioned)
The Medicine Bag
By Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve
Martin and his sister, Cheryl, are Sioux through their great-grandfather. However, while he enjoys showing off his culture's artifacts, Martin is not especially proud of his Native American heritage. All this is changed when his grandfather arrives on his street one day, to inform Martin that he would soon recieve the "medicine bag".
The Medicine Bag