Storytelling, Text, and Memory in Robert J. Conley's Mountain Windsong

Abstract

Rabert J. Conley's novelMountain Windsongattempts to recreate the forgetten history of American natives through the narrative technique of storytelling.Thenovel is a story toldby Grandfather to Grandsonwhichincludeslegends, historical documents, anecdotes, songetc.thatforegroundthe oral tradition of nativesas their cultural identity to resist Anglo-Americans. Conley shelters on natural phenomena and storytelling tradition as alternative space. He confirms his affinity to the marginalized natives. The novel presents Oconeechee and Waguli as lovers, whose separation due to Trail of Tearsresemblesthe plight of Cherokeesas a whole. Conley narrates the unheard voiceof nativesadopting varities of fragmentationand thus, deconstructingthegrand narratives. Withthis novel, he gives a voice to those voices, whichwere unheard in official history of U.S. andgives the shapeof text to recreate Cherokeecultural identitybyresistingtheAnglo-Americans.