Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Moon of the Crusted Snow, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Technology, Society, and Survival
Colonialism, Oppression, and Trauma
Selfishness vs. Selflessness
Gender, Power, and Wisdom
Summary
Analysis
Nicole looks out the window: it’s calm and somewhat less frigid outside. She bundles up Nangohns and Maiingan for a walk, and they pile into the sleigh. Some days, Nicole thinks that spring will come; other days, she’s less hopeful. Some days, Nicole isn’t sure if she’s awake or dreaming. As Nicole tugs the sleigh, she bumps into a woman named Meghan, who’s checking rabbit snares. They’re all empty. Walter took Meghan, her husband Brad, and another man named Alex Richer in after Phillips was killed. Then, they moved into an abandoned bungalow near Cam’s place, as did Scott. Nicole wonders how they’ll survive without knowing how to catch food.
Nicole relies on her traditional Anishinaabe knowledge to read the landscape, which helps her assess when it’s safe to go outside. Meghan, in contrast, has no indigenous knowledge and lived in a city before seeking refuge on the reservation. She doesn’t know how to use the rabbit traps, and she fails to realize that rabbits aren’t around at this time of year. This juxtaposition suggests that relying on technology to get by in life (as Meghan did before she arrived on the reservation) limits a person’s connection with the land and practical survival skills.
Themes
Nangohns and Maiingan sweetly introduce themselves to Meghan, while Nicole notices how malnourished Meghan looks. Nicole cracks an awkward joke, and Meghan laughs, grateful for the opportunity to smile. Nicole warmly says that laughter is good medicine. Meghan blurts out that Scott is horrible—he orders them around and threatens them. Megan’s husband, Brad, has fallen under his spell. Nicole offers Meghan a rest at her place, but Meghan says that she has to find food and get back before Scott gets angry. He seems to be getting bigger, while the rest of them are getting thinner. Meghan rushes off before Nicole can get more information, and Nicole heads back home, feeling worried.
Scott’s is sexist: he encourages his followers—including Meghan’s own husband Brad—to subjugate women. Scott also embodies a selfish leadership strategy: he forces others to hunt for food and then takes it for himself, harming and demoralizing the group by forcing them to go hungry. Scott may think that he’s going to benefit from his fear-mongering, sexism, and selfish food-hoarding—but such tactics will likely turn people against him in the long run.
Themes
