The Round House

Joe Coutts spends a lot of time with his friends. Describe each friend, including his characteristics, and explain how each friend helped Joe in his search for his mother’s attacker.

The history of Linda Wishkob plays an important role throughout the narrative. Explain who Linda Wishkob is and what happened to her as a child. How does she interact with her birth family, and how does she interact with the Coutts family?

The crime against Geraldine Coutts takes center stage in the narrative. Describe the crime and the events it sets in motion.

Describe Geraldine Coutts’s transformation from loving mother to trauma victim. What happens to cause this? Give examples of her attempts at recovery and provide instances of her depression. Does she heal? Explain.

What is Bazil Coutts’s occupation on the reservation? How does his job help him in his search for his wife’s attacker? List several of the cases that he and Joe research in their search.

Violence is a major issue in the novel. Describe several instances of violence, including Geraldine’s attack, and explain what they say about reservation life, if anything.

Is Joe’s killing of Linden justified? Is it moral? Immoral? Make a case for or against Joe’s extrajudicial killing based on the good or bad he finds in his actions.

Why did Linden Lark choose the round house for his crime? What does the round house represent, and what stories do Joe, Mooshum, and Bazil tell about goings-on at the round house?