Gussuk by Mei Mei Evans
"Gussuk" by Mei Mei Evans is a poignant story that explores themes of cultural identity, alienation, and the search for belonging through the experiences of Lucy, an itinerant nurse in Kigiak, Alaska. Upon her arrival, Lucy is welcomed by the locals, particularly Robert and his relatives, who help her acclimate to village life. Despite her Chinese American features resembling those of her Eskimo hosts, Lucy grapples with her status as an outsider, referred to as a “gussuk,” and the accompanying feelings of culture shock.
The narrative captures Lucy's observations of contemporary Eskimo life, detailing the unique sights, sounds, and rituals of the community. As she settles in, Lucy forms connections with key characters like Amos, Mary, and Robert, leading to moments of intimacy and conflict, especially highlighted during the village's Fourth of July celebration. The story portrays Lucy's internal struggle with her connection to Kigiak, culminating in her realization that she may never truly belong there. In an epilogue, set two years later, Lucy learns of Robert's tragic fate, adding a bittersweet layer to her journey of self-discovery and the complexities of love across cultural divides.
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Gussuk by Mei Mei Evans
First published: 1989
Type of plot: Social realism
Time of work: The late twentieth century
Locale: Kigiak, Alaska
Principal Characters:
Lucy , an itinerant Chinese American nurseRobert , a married Eskimo who is attracted to herMercy , his sister
The Story
Lucy, an itinerant nurse, arrives in the Eskimo village of Kigiak, Alaska, by bush plane from Anchorage. She is welcomed by Robert and his relatives, who help her settle into a trailer home and into the rhythms of village life. Lucy's period of alienation is mitigated by two factors: her Chinese American features, which resemble those of her Eskimo hosts, and the warm hospitality of her hosts. Although her status as an outsider, a "gussuk," may be mitigated by her own Eskimo-like looks, it is not eliminated. Several times she describes the phenomenon of culture shock and discusses her ambivalent feelings toward her imposing natural surroundings. Lucy's primary concern, however, is being accepted by the locals.
Lucy's trailer is her home, office, and refuge, and a reminder of her transitory status as an outsider. While settling in, she is greeted by Amos and Mary, who become her guides through the Eskimo village. The threesome encounters Robert, Amos and Mary's uncle, who invites the gussuk into his sister Mercy's house. Lucy observes all the ritualistic activities of contemporary Eskimo life, and the sights, sounds, and smells peculiar to the setting: Mercy's toothless grin, the scent of seal oil, a creaky table, a paper plate of dried fish, Mercy's polyester slacks.
After a catalog of impressions of nature peculiar to an Eskimo village in the far north—migrating salmon, mosquitoes, muskeg—Robert reappears. Events reach a climax during the annual Fourth of July bash, which ends with Mercy passing out on the floor and Lucy falling drunkenly into bed with Robert. The tensions and differences between Lucy and Robert become apparent. He feels trapped in Kigiak; she is enthralled by it. He is married, she is single. Although each yearns vainly to leave his or her own world, they are headed in opposite directions: Robert returns to Kigiak after a failed attempt to start life anew in Fairbanks; Lucy resolves to return to Boston after her brief stint as an itinerant nurse in the Alaskan bush. She has come to the profound but disquieting realization that she was and always would be a gussuk; she would never belong in Kigiak.
The story concludes with an epilogue set in Anchorage, two years later. Lucy has a chance encounter with a girl named Anna, who claims to be Robert's cousin and to have met her in Kigiak. Anna informs Lucy that Robert drowned the previous year. The story's final lines sound a note of ambiguity, as Anna remarks on Lucy's physical resemblance to Robert, adding a bittersweet touch of irony to this tale of two lovers whose encounter was characterized more by their differences than their similarities.