ABSTRACT
The Indian’s fierceness and independence is a corrective to any such feelings on the part of Omri. The humour often arises through recognition of the differences between Omri’s point of view and the Indian’s. The recurrent upsetting of Omri’s preconceptions, but on the other hand the unbelievable and delightful reality to him of what the Indian actually is and does, enables Lynne Reid Banks to convey the sensations of living in the here-and-now. The importance of parenting and stage of life soon becomes explicit in this story, as the Indian asks Omri where the food comes from. The remoteness of his actual great grandmother to Omri is shown perhaps when the old Indian chief is brought to life in the cupboard and immediately dies, without arousing much sorrow in either Omri or Little Bear. The mirror on the bathroom cupboard suggests that Omri is locking and unlocking reflections of himself and his own past.
