Setting

Setting is a huge factor in the Canadian novel, "Three Day Road", by Joseph Boyden. In the heart of World War I. Xavier and Elijah experience the hardships of war and get dragged deep into battle, hiding under enemy lines, fighting for survival. The entire story revolves around the war, which makes setting an essential part of plot development. Moreover, since the setting does shift back and forth, it adds a different aspect to the story; flashbacks. The flashbacks show the setting before, during and after the war, showing the different situations in each time period. Before the war, we see the brutal reality of either residential schools or living in the wild. The few who did decide to stay in the wild often perished due to lack of food; however, the people that went to aboriginal schools did not fare as well either, often being both physically and verbally abused. During the war, we are shown that even in conflict; there is still racial discrimination against aboriginals. Even when the aboriginals sacrificed their lives for their home country, Canada, people did not give the respect that aboriginal people deserved. And after the war, we are shown the genuine aftermath of war. Xavier is traumatized, hurt, and most importantly, scarred by the brutal effects of war. For their efforts, aboriginal people were not even compensated for their efforts in the war. They were not paid in any aspect, monetary value or even recognized. Aboriginal people returned to their families, if they had any left and were forced to return to the harsh cruelty of white assimilation. Setting plays a huge part in defining the core conflicts in the book. Not only does it strengthen plot, but character development as well. By knowing the hardships that both Xavier and Elijah faced, we can understand some of their personality traits as well as their actions. Like as a result of residential school, Niska feels a complete disgust to the white society, which then amplifies her hate furthermore from her father's death. To conclude, setting is a major factor in both character and plot development in the book, “Three Day Road.”