“Fleur” a story written by Louise Endrich is a tale about a young Chippewa Indian woman
who is feared by all the people that live on her reservation, Argus. They believed that she has
been cursed by the water monster of Lake Turcot who seeks her life for his own. Her general
lifestyle is an awe to them because she lives outside of traditional ways. She stirs things up with
her uncanny luck and the circumstances that surround her. I believe this is a good story because I
like the way that Fleur did things in her own way, she never let the people dictate her life.
The story begins with Fleur being rescued from Lake Turcot after her boat capsizes and
she goes down into the water. The two men attempt to rescue her and shortly after they succeed
their lives are mysteriously taken. The second time that Fleur almost drowns in the lake a similar
scenario occurs and it is then believed that every man that saves Fleur from the lake will replace
her station in death. This causes the people of the town to be very suspicious and weary of her.
Everyone pretty much steers clear of her just because she is a little different from them. They are
too afraid to try to understand her and get to know her.
Fleur lives the life of a very modest person, but she is hard working and strong. Despite
the towns fear of her she continues to live and do things as normal as she can. She really doesn’t
have many friends or any family so she spends most of her time at the butchery where she works.
She helps cut and load meat for the Kozka family and while there she is able to mingle with some
of the citizens in the town. She resides in an unused smokehouse behind the butchery where she
worked and owned pretty much just the clothes on her back. Despite her apparent poverty she is
very beautiful and the men all look at her in awe. However, even though she is very wonderfully
attractive, the men of the town ar...