How much does a line on a map define us? To a marine it makes all the difference in war. It’s one country against another. To animals political lines don’t matter, as long as the land is inhabitable. Thomas King tells us in “Borders”, that some people will keep their national identity no matter the circumstances. Adewale Maja-Pearce wrote “Loyalties” to show us that it doesn’t make a difference what heritage you are, life will still be the same. These two stories explore the concept of nationality and why it is or isn’t important.
In these stories, the authors use the same techniques such as dialogue, setting and tone, yet they send completely different messages. The authors have different approaches when using dialogue. In “Loyalties”, Maja-Pearce uses dialogue to show that it doesn’t matter where they live. At first, the mom wants the boy to collect their goat while the dad is exclaiming they are now Biafran. Then he revisits that discussion at the end and she says “Go and collect our Nigerian goat” (Maja-Pearce). He did that to show nothing has really changed even after they were considered another nationality.
They still have to take care of their goat no matter what they’re called. In “Borders”, King uses dialogue to show that Laetitia’s mother thinks her national identity is important. This is shown when she reaches the border and is being asked questions by the border guard. ‘”Citizenship? ” “Blackfoot,” my mother told him. “Ma’am? ” “Blackfoot,” my mother repeated. “Canadian? ” “Blackfoot”‘ (King 24). Through dialogue King shows that the mom is set on not changing her answer. Laetitia’s mom is so proud of her culture that even if it means not staying in her car for days, she won’t give up her identity.
She doesn’t even have to think about being Canadian or American, she’s Blackfoot. The author uses the border setting as a representation of the son and it emphasizes the message of the story. The protagonist in “Borders” is in no man’s land. It indicates both a border between two countries, but also a border between national and ethnic identities; his Blackfoot culture and the American culture. Then when he finally goes to Salt Lake City the mom keeps referring back to Canada. She says the mall in Edmonton is bigger and better. Then they return “home”.
They refer to Blackfoot country as their home because it’s where he is most comfortable and where he will always go back to. In Loyalties, the setting is undefined, which only emphasizes his point. He doesn’t describe the setting because it doesn’t affect how the story would play out. It wouldn’t matter whether he lived in Alaska or the Sahara, just because they moved a line on a map, it doesn’t change his living situation. The tone of the “Loyalties” is humorous to show how ridiculous it is to care so much about national identity.
For instance, the teacher, barber, and store owner hang out with the dad and make jokes about which country is better. “If twenty Nigerian soldiers march into our village and five Biafran women attack them with saucepans who will win? ” (Maja-Pearce 296). They were talking about how much stronger Biafra is than Nigeria. Then at the end they joke about how Biafra is all talk and no action. This joke shows how easily they change their opinions, with little loyalty to their country. King is more serious about standing up for what you believe in because he feels deeply about and being true to your heritage.
In this story Native American culture is the example. There aren’t many of them left, so the culture can only survive if they try to preserve their beliefs and traditions for the next generations. King takes a heavy topic and presents it in a no nonsense manner so the reader takes it seriously. Maja-Pearce wanted to say that nationality shouldn’t be most important. What really matters is what you can make of yourself no matter where you come from because where you live doesn’t mean that’s who you are. On the other hand Thomas King makes a point that culture and families influence our decisions and opinions.
Culture, like a home, is somewhere you can be comfortable and express yourself. The impact of nationality on our lives can either make a huge difference like in “Borders” or be just a place where you live, like in “Loyalties”. Disputes over illegal immigrants and politics are relevant to these stories because where one country meets another is a big deal in terms of government. The way I see it, I think separating people based on where they live is weird because it shouldn’t matter; it only causes segregation among our race.
