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Chapter 25
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Motorcycles & Sweetgrass, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Cultural Maintenance vs. Loss
Grief and Trauma
Colonialism and Land Use
Stories and Religion
Humor
Summary
Analysis
Two weeks later, Virgil, Maggie, Wayne, and Dakota have dinner together, and none of them mention John. Dakota has started to research Nanabush, and Maggie has been trying in vain not to think about him. Though the bones in the forest are still drawing more attention than she’d like, John taught her to expect chaos and accept that she can’t plan for every eventuality. She has also pulled some strings to get Lillian’s headstone completed quickly, and it will be installed that afternoon.
John disrupted the Otter Lake community, but that disruption helped the residents of the Reserve to grow. Dakota embraces her heritage and connects with it by reading stories, and Maggie’s new outlook on chaos helps her manage the stress of her job as chief. The family is still affected by their love for Lillian and their grief at her death, but they are moving forward and honoring her memory.
Themes
Virgil enjoys sharing a secret with Wayne and Dakota, and John’s advice that “there are no such things as dead ends” has given Virgil hope for his future. Wayne, meanwhile, is enjoying a potential romance with a tae kwon do teacher who works at the clinic. After dinner, Dakota and Virgil practice Wayne’s style of martial arts in the yard.
Lillian taught Wayne about Anishnawbe culture, and now Wayne is doing the same for Virgil and Dakota by teaching them a unique way to relate to their ancestral lands. As Virgil forges this connection with his past and his homeland, he also has a new hope for what his future might hold thanks to John’s influence.
Themes
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