Indian Horse Essay

Adversity is worry a strong wind. It tears away from us all besides the things that piece of assnot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are. Adversity implies difficulties, trouble and misfortune as it tests the potential of man and strengthens his tone of voice of self confidence. In the novel Indian Horse written by Richard Wagamese in that location are many circumstances where the main character capital of Minnesota is forced to inhibit the adversity in which once burst his human spirit and made him get worthless. The ideas of adversity much(prenominal) as being beaten at residential school days and the racism he faced while playing hockey game, demonstrates capital of Minnesotas constant inner struggle and his confide to become a more powerful individual. end-to-end the novel Saul is exposed to many dire experiences that leave him little to no identity and an unimagin fitting outlook on life. We quickly learn that when Saul was a child, he was interpret ed away from his family and forced into an Indian Residential take aim where he witnessed and experient abuses at the hands of the schools educators. They called it a school solely it was never that.There were no tests or examinations.The only test was our ability to survive.(Pg.79) The emotions present in the adduce represent the pain and agony he endured when being forcibly taught the ways of the white people. The school he is referring to is St. Jeromes Indian Residential School which many described as Hell on earth. Saul is rapidly thrown into a world of extreme emotional and physical abuse brought on by the hands of the nuns and priests that are acquire the children. They took me to St. Jeromes Indian Residential School. I read once that there are holes in the beingness that swallow all light, all bodies. St. Jeromes took all the light from my world. Everything I knew vanished behind me with an audible swish, like the sound a moose makes disappearing into spruce.(Pg.43) Th e vivid detail of this quote alone gives more lucidity to the impact Residential Schools had on people and shows the injustice suffered by the First Nations People.The many beatings, suicides and sexual molestations shattered many childrens human spirit and created a sense of life that wasnt worth living. When your sinlessness is stripped from you, when your people are denigrated, when the family you came from is denounced and your tribal ways and rituals are pronounced back contendd,primitive, savage, you come to see yourself as less than human. That is hell on earth, that sense of unworthiness. Thats what they inflicted on us.(Pg.81) The quote represents how they were stripped from everything they had ever know, much(prenominal) as their language, rituals, usages and even choice of food. Over a short period of time, the beatings and threats belittled the children and instilled them with continuous fear. When taken all together, the horror of attending this Residential School s tripped not only Sauls, but all the childrens innocence, traditions and identity.Aside from the horrible experiences while attending the Residential School, Saul was forced to overcome many adversities while engaging in his passion for hockey. In the beginning Saul discovers that his love for hockey serves as a mean of lean. I kept my discoveries to myself and I always made sure that I left the surface of the rink pristine. For the rest of the day, Id walk through the dim hallways of school warmed by my secret. I no longer felt hopeless, chill air around me because I had Father Leboutilier, the ice, the mornings and the promise of a game that I would soon be old enough to play.(66) byout the quote it demonstrates how hockey gives him a sense of hope . It is through hockey that Saul can escape from his reality and fin what was stolen from him friendships, family and a sense of self. Although as Sauls future seems to point towards contending for a position within the National Hockey League, the constant racism and shunning from the white mans game crumbles his faith in the one thing that gave him life outside of the Residential School. But there were moment when youd catch another boys eye and know that you were both thinking about it.Everything was contained in that glance. All the hurt. All the shame. All the rage. The white people thought it was their game. They thought it was their world.(136) This quote reveals how Sauls passion for hockey is crushed by the white people who feel that Indians cant play hockey. What once was his salvation proves to be just another thing that belongs to the white man. They feel as if the game of hockey only belongs to the white people and should only be played by people of the same race. The many setbacks Saul had faced from fans diminishing his ability to play hockey, and the harsh literal abuse constantly bellowed at him because of his skin color, quickly weakened his human spirit and built up enough anger that he could hardly contain. During one game the fans broke into a ridiculous war chant whenever I stepped ontothe ice.When I scored, the ice was littered with plastic Indian dolls.. This quote is referring to when Saul joined an all white man team and how he was most hated for breaking their tradition of the white mans games.Overall, Sauls love for hockey that once allowed him to gain liberty and escape was now stolen from him due to his distasteful fans and the theory of the white mans game. Through the beatings within the Residential School and the racism he faced while playing hockey, we are able to see how Saul was affected both internally and externally. With every sentence and every chapter you become known with the incredible will of a boy who has had to endure more than anyone should in a lifetime. At such an early age, Saul was forced to face various types of adversity and his worst fears which created long lasting do on his life. The author conveys that staying true to your roots i s what will get you through lifes obstacles disdain temptations which may veer you from finding your true self. This novel illustrates that hockey is not merely a sport, but has the capacity to bind us together. No matter what colour your skin or where you come from, its the love of the game that shows us that we really are not that different after all.