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Many other men in the novel, both Native and non-Native, mistreat women in ways much less severe. Linden’s violence is certainly closely intertwined with his bigotry, as he “hates Indians generally” and he has called Native women a word so ugly that Geraldine would not repeat it. Linden’s possessiveness over Mayla and his fury at her rejection seem to be exacerbated by his sense of racial superiority as a white man.

Linden Lark takes part in this terrible trend, as he not only violently rapes Geraldine, but he also abducts and murders Mayla out of jealousy over her relationship with another man. This demonstrates how long-term institutional racism and oppression directly threaten the physical safety of Native people (and Native women in particular) by removing consequences for crimes and leaving violent criminals at large. Often, the perpetrators of this violence are non-Native men, and because of rules against prosecuting non-Native people on reservation land, it is often impossible to bring them to justice.

The Round House, which examines an instance of sexual violence against Joe’s mother Geraldine, explores the particular difficulties faced by Native women and how those struggles stem from an often-toxic culture surrounding sexuality, tribal identity, and gender.Īlthough Erdrich’s book is a work of fiction, Geraldine’s violent rape is part of a real phenomenon: Native women are far more likely to experience sexual violence than non-Native women and men.