Alcoholism in Love Medicine Essay Example

justify">The intoxication led to June to make the decision of walking; therefore the alcohol takes the lead in the plot and determines the outcome of June’s life. This example, at the very beginning of the novel, shows the reader how important of a role alcohol will play throughout the rest of the story. In the same chapter, the family uses alcohol as a crutch to cope with June’s death. King gets drunk in order to mask the pain he felt after his mother’s death and then uses this pain to beat his wife, Lynette.

Later on, Gordie, a recovering alcoholic, returns to his drunkenness to deal with the death of June, who was the love of his life. He loses his way and, as can be seen in “Crown of Thorns,” goes crazy. Both remaining members of June’s small family exhibit alcoholic traits and drunkenness as a result of her death. To me, it seems ironic that the true reason for June’s death becomes the demise of the rest of her family after her death. I think that both loved June so much that there was no other way to cure their loss.

In this way, alcohol functions as a “love medicine” differently because it is used to make King and Gordie feel better. Again, alcohol plays a huge role in the plot of the Kashpaw family and acts as a link between June, Gordie and King. Other characters abuse alcohol in other parts of the story. Nector Kashpaw, patriarch of the Kashpaw dynasty, uses alcohol to survive his marriage to Marie. This time, the alcohol is used to help cope with the

lack of love Nector felt for Marie. Also, Henry Jr. son of Lulu Lamartine, abuses alcohol after his service in the Vietnam war. It aids in his relations with Albertine Johnson and plays the role of “love medicine” by being the drive behind their sexual relations. I believe that the reoccurring role of alcohol in Love Medicine displays the reasoning behind Erdrich’s choice of title. It seems that the “love medicine” IS alcohol because it plays a huge role in many of the novel’s important relationships. Without the presence of alcohol and drunkenness, the plot of the story could be quite different.