The Medicine Woman of Galveston

The medicine show is an important symbol and narrative device in the book. The inciting incident is Tucia’s decision to join the medicine show, but the nature of the medicine show is narratively and thematically important to the book. For one, the medicine show acts as a microcosm of the world. Huey’s treatment of his performers is a nod to how people with differences are marginalized, misunderstood, and exploited in society by those in power. Despite this, there is still room for connection, community, and joy, as Tucia experiences when she forms relationships with the other performers in the show.

The nature of the medicine show as a fraudulent enterprise allows for the thematic exploration of The Ethics of Survival, especially since Huey’s motivations for running the show and the other members’ reasons for being a part of it are vastly different. Huey’s role in the show is symbolic of the presence of human greed and exploitation in society; his looting of the dead after the storm reiterates how there are elements in society that attempt to profit off of tragedy.

In contrast, Tucia and the other characters reiterate the “impossible choices” that life offers people in difficult circumstances, opening up the exploration of what is considered ethical or excusable in the