Case Study - Winter Shadows by Margaret Buffie

Winter Shadows is a historical novel by Margaret Buffie. It tells the story of two girls - one from the mid-1800s - Beatrice - and another from present day - Cass. Both girls live in Manitoba, Canada, and are going through similar struggles with step-parents. Through a series of events they are able to communicate across time and help each other with their problems.

There are certainly some fantasy-like elements to this story, but on the whole the two times stay separate. The story of Beatrice gives us a glimpse into several aspects of the time period and environment she lives in.

In looking Winter Shadows, we'll

• Look at research the author did
• Analyze how certain social tensions were presented
• Comment on the accuracy of these presentations

Research - What did the author do?

In Winter Shadows, the Beatrice is part Cree, a Native American group that lived primarily around the Great Lakes (Native Net, 2005). In her journal, Beatrice sometimes uses words from the Cree language. In the back of the book, Margaret Buffie wrote about the research she did on that topic.

Buffie primarily cites two people who helped her create the glossary of words she used - one a professor and specialist in the topic, the other a Swampy Cree elder (Buffie, 2010). Between these two experts, she was able to get information on the words themselves and how to use and spell them correctly. She was also able to get specific information on the dialect that would have been spoken in the area she chose for the book.

Buffie also speaks of how she did research of the area her story takes place in, though she does not get any more specific than that.

Analysis - How were certain social issues presented?

The two main social issues presented in Winter Shadows were the conflicts between the native Cree and half-Cree residents versus the non-native settlers, and the Victorian freethinker movement versus traditional values and expectations.

The conflict between the native Cree and half-Cree residents versus non-native settlers is best shown by the conflict between Beatrice herself and her stepmother, Ivy. Beatrice is half-Cree, on her father's side. Ivy, meanwhile, is a recent immigrant to the area from Europe. The two clash often over things such as the treatment of Beatrice's grandmother, a Cree woman.

The conflict between freethinking and tradition are illustrated by the two men Beatrice chooses between to marry. On one hand, there is Robert Dalhousie, a traditional, religious man seeking a reserved, pious wife to help him and his ailing sister while he does missionary work. On the other, there is  Duncan Kilgour, a freethinker from Europe who teases Beatrice as much as he encourages her own beliefs.

Comment - How accurate was Buffie's interpretation?

From the research I've done, her interpretation seems accurate.

The area chosen for the story is one that the Cree were known to inhabit. Some of the first interactions between French visitors and Cree were via fur trading (Canadian Genealogy, 2002). The marriages that resulted are mentioned specifically in the book by the French term - "à la façon du pays" (Buffie, 2010).

The freethinking movement was most popular in the 1800s, and originated in Europe. Duncan's freethinking roots come from his childhood spent with his family in Europe. It emphasized not being bound by religion and instead promoted humanist ideals and moving against traditional values (Britain Humanist Association, 2012).  In the end, Duncan encourages Beatrice to be true to her desires and be with someone who would treat her as an equal.

Sources

Britain Humanist Association. (2012). 19th century freethinkers. Retrieved from   http://www.humanism.org.uk/humanism/humanist-tradition/freethinkers 

Buffie, M. (2010). Winter shadows. Canada: Tundra Books.
Canadian Genealogy. (2002). Cree indians of canada. Retrieved from http://www.canadiangenealogy.net/indians/cree_indians.htm

Native Net. (2005). Cree indians. Retrieved from http://www.native-net.org/tribes/cree-indians.html