Mirage Character Analysis in The Round House

Mirage is Akii’s husband and Nanapush’s father in Mooshum’s story about the buffalo mother. Mirage is a good hunter, but he is not a very good husband, as he cheats on Akii and, when times get tough, he blames Akii for their bad luck. Mirage, thinking Akii is a wiindigoo, convinces the other men in the village to help him kill her. Mirage seems to represent the quickness with which some men will resort to violence, even toward people they love, and also the limits of wiindigoo justice.

Mirage Character Timeline in The Round House

The timeline below shows where the character Mirage appears in The Round House. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Chippewa Tradition vs. Catholicism Theme Icon

Storytelling, Formality, and Writing Theme Icon

...title, “Akii.” The story begins by introducing Akiikwe (Akii), the Earth Woman, and her husband Mirage. Akii would help her husband find food by using her dreams to determine where the... (full context)

Women, Bigotry, and Sexual Violence Theme Icon

Land, the Judicial System, and Justice Theme Icon

In order to feed their children, Akii and Mirage went ice fishing. One day, however, a fish told them that the fish were going... (full context)

...the hole she used to ice fish. After they submerged her in the freezing water, Mirage gave Nanapush a gun to shoot his mother if she emerged again. After the men... (full context)

Parenthood, Foster Families, and Coming of Age Theme Icon

...to the community, including to the men who tried to kill Akii. Akii then left Mirage for good. The old buffalo woman, whose spirit revisited Nanapush throughout his life, warned him... (full context)