Winter in the Blood by James Welch’s narrator is motivated. From his desire to leave home and his mother, to his struggles with the past and his desire to begin a new life, his motivation is the source of all his troubles. The narrator of Winter in the Blood, or First Raise’s son, is left ambiguous throughout the book because he doesn’t know who he is. Even he says “the separation [he] experienced was not due to his country or culture; it was from within him.” [He] felt as far from [him]self (2) as a moon is from a hawk. As First Raise’s son begins to accept himself, so does the reader. This journey is marked by the narrator lacking motivation. After all, he has to go through painful memories in order for him to learn who First Raise son is.
The narrator’s living situation causes him to have motivational issues. The narrator is thirty-two years old, but still lives with his family and is treated like a child. In the beginning, he hates his home. He always wants to get out of there and find something else. Even the girl he takes home won’t stay there. The narrator says, “[c]oming back was no longer easy.” It had never been easy but it was now a torturous experience. The narrator does not leave his home for a long time, even though he describes it in such a way. Even his visit to Havre was a major disappointment. He was glad to get back to home. The narrator changes his mind about home after reading this particular passage. He’s actually happy to be back in a familiar, comfortable place. This is not only the beginning but also the beginning to his journey.
The narrator is haunted by the past throughout the entire novel. Although the reader is aware that the narrator’s brother suffered a terrible fate, the truth about what happened is only revealed towards the end of this novel. The narrator died as well, and his father also passed away while drunkenly walking home one night. The narrator’s goal is to seem detached from the deaths. “He takes a leak” in the same spot as his father died, but these two were the only one who really loved him. By separating himself from truth, perhaps he hopes to avoid the pain which always comes with it. Even his lack of name shows that he is trying to protect himself from criticism. It was not until the very end of the book that he learned that Yellow Calf’s grandfather is his. First Raise’s child was able, through this revelation, to gain a better understanding of himself.
Finaly, there are problems with the narrator’s motivation to create a new life for himself. First Raise’s child chases the Cree women he has brought home. He thinks that his grandmother would kill her if she was Cree, but the girl leaves with his electric razor and gun. He chases and dates other women to no avail. The Cree women only bring him pain. Literally, her brother beats the woman up. Next, he becomes involved with a criminal in Canada. He may have hoped to experience some excitement. He hasn’t had time to make up his mind about whether he should travel with another man before he gets arrested.
Winter in the Blood features First Raised’s son struggling to stay motivated. He is trapped in a seemingly endless cycle since his brother’s passing. As he begins to understand his past, he’ll be able create a more realistic picture of him and possibly motivate himself. The narrator’s life will be changed in the slightest extent, but not to the point that a sequel is needed. It’s finally motivational.