The scene I have chosen in Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden conveys the relationship between Xavier Bird and Elijah Weesageechak. Throughout the war Elijah was the fierce, athletic and more driven to kill soldier. Xavier over time became quieter, less enthusiastic, reluctant and hesitant before each kill as a soldier. This scene is so important because it sets the tone of their relationship for the rest of the book. As the war progressed Elijah found himself scalping every soldier he killed. The quote from the book explains that Elijah found himself in a new world. A world that was only controlled by his thirst for blood. The quote shows Elijah and Xavier alone in a bunker trying to snipe a machine gunner. The team work shown by the two of them is overlooked because when they killed the gunner Elijah states that Xavier was always the better hunter. When Elijah is choking Xavier, Xavier does not shoot Elijah but he clubs him with the butt of a rifle. This shows that Xavier has not given up on Elijah and their bond as friends is almost unbreakable.
This scene shows that the two of them have given up. They don't want to fight in the war anymore. Their relationship has now changed due to the fact that Elijah almost killed Xavier.
Quote (pg. 369)
Why? his lips ask.
My head feels split open from the explosion. I can't move, can only stare up at him, his mouth.
"Are we not best friends, Xavier?" he asks. "Are we not best friends and great hunters?"
He is my old friend again. I see the hurt child in him now. I nod.
"you were always the better hunter," he says
He reaches for me.
"It has gone too far, hasn't it," he says. "I have gone too far, haven't I."
His words wake my body. Elijah's hands reach for my throat. He squeezes it hard, and the words from that letter come back to me then, Niska. Do what you have to. I can't breathe. He is killing me. My good arm grasps at he ground beside me. My fingers grab a rifle. I swing the butt of it awkwardly at Elijah. The hard wood of it cracks the side of his head. He falls over.
