Bendigo Shafter 1-3

Bendigo Shafter Chapters 1-3:

Now that most of us have the book, we can discuss the first few chapters. In this early phase, L'amour sets up all four of the major conflict types: man against nature, man against man, man against society, and man against self.

The first issue is the early snowstorm, which catches the children away from the incomplete houses. The second is the seizure of the children by the Indians, and the third arises from tensions within the village population.

The fourth conflict type is demonstrated by Bendigo Shafter's concern for his own education. He has enough, at the start of the book, to make a living with: he can build a cabin, or split and plane floors. That would have been enough for the time and place, and for many times and places: a skilled carpenter is almost always valuable, and would be easily employed at a good rate even today if it were not for the housing situation being what it is.

Some things for discussion:

1) What is the widow Macken's relationship to the rest of the townsfolk? What can you tell from how people relate to her?

2) What do you think of the late Mr. Macken's plan for education? Would you have lugged a crate of books across the prairie?

3) Which ones, and why? The date here is the mid-19th century.

Discuss in the comments below. Since this is an easy read, I'd like to propose we try to do ten chapters a week henceforth. That should put us through the book in about a month.