Transfix me with love: Joy Harjo’s discourse of memory and reconciliation

• Autor(a) principal: Mancelos, João de
• Data de Publicação: 2006
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.6/4300
• topic: Joy Harjo; Native American poetry; Memory; Colonialism

Joy Harjo is one of the most inspired and innovative Native American poets of her generation. In my paper I examine and debate the strategies Harjo uses in order to construct a discourse of reconciliation and approach between European American colonizers and Native Americans, and to open a new chapter in the multicultural history of the USA. In her poetry, Harjo seeks reconciliation with the Other, with memory and with herself, employing symbols, metaphors, connotation and association of ideas. Feelings like rebellion and hate are associated with the cold infertile seasons, while forgiveness and love appear linked to spring and summer. Also, the structure of her books, especially In Mad Love and War, show a clear progression from rebellion to forgiveness, from fear to courage. Finally, Harjo uses a specific vocabulary — words and expressions from the contexts of war and peace, to create a new language and a new memory.