full title
A Yellow Raft in Blue Water
author
Michael Dorris
type of work
Novel
genre
Coming-of-age story; tale of conflict among generations
language
English
time and place written
1984, Minnesota
date of first publication
1987
publisher
Warner Books
narrators
Rayona, Christine, Ida
point of view
Each section of the novel is told from a different
point of view. The first section is told from Rayona’s perspective,
the second from Christine’s, and the third from Ida’s.
tone
The tone varies depending on the narrator. Rayona’s
voice is both jaded and naïve, Christine’s voice is irresponsible
and playful, and Ida’s voice is resentful yet caring.
tense
Rayona speaks in the present tense, and Christine
and Ida speak in the past tense.
settings (time)
The three stories overlap, but each story spans a
rough time period: the 1980s for Rayona,
the 1960s to the 1980s
for Christine, and the 1940s to the 1960s
for Ida.
settings (place)
The novel opens in Seattle, and then moves to a reservation
in Montana. Most of the events in A Yellow Raft in Blue
Water take place in one of these two locales, although
Ida also spends some time in Colorado.
protagonists
Rayona, Christine, Ida
major conflict
Rayona wants to belong and struggles to connect to
her family; Christine wants to raise Rayona better than Ida raised
her but struggles to convert her feelings to action; Ida wants to
interact with the world only on her own terms.
rising action
Clara gives birth to Christine; Christine finds out
that Lee is dead; Christine abandons Rayona at Ida’s
climax
Rayona rides at the rodeo in Havre and finds the courage
and confidence to confront her family’s troubled history.
falling action
Christine and Rayona are reconciled; Ida joins them
at Dayton’s house for their first cordial dinner in years
themes
Understanding different perspectives; the effect of
past events on later generations; finding a true identity
motifs
Pop culture; faith
symbols
Christine’s videos; Ellen’s letter; braids
foreshadowing
Foreshadowing plays a curious role in A Yellow
Raft in Blue Water. Because the narrative travels backward
in time, we see a foreshadowing of events we have already read about.
