Indian Horse Essay
Eric Liu
ENG2DE-05
December 17th, 2014
Ms. Douglas
Continuity and Change People fear their past, and the person that they used to be. In the novel, Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese, Saul Indian Horse, the protagonist, is an example of an individual plagued by his troubled upbringing. The journey in which Saul searches for the truth of his past proves that people must confront their past to be able to move along with their lives. When he finally learns the truth about his time in residential schools, he accepts himself. Saul’s journey begins when he is a young Indian, continuing with his days at St. Jerome’s, and finally ends when he is an adult unravelling the layers of his past. Firstly, Saul’s journey for the truth begins in his early childhood. During this time, Saul faces many demons he does not know how to deal with, so he chooses to run away from them. By doing this, Saul is haunted by these demons for the rest of his journey. At a young age, he witnesses the impact residential school has on his mother: “It was as if she was under the influence of a potent medicine no shaman had the power to break” (Wagamese 9). As he sees his parents reject their reality, he also rejects his own reality. This hinders Saul’s journey, as reality must be taken for what it is, not hidden away. His parents also drink as a way to escape: ““Both my parents had taken to the Zhaunagush drink, and we left the bush in pursuit of it” (Wagamese 12). This further distances them from Saul, to the point where they are not there to raise him. This is why Saul embarks on his journey alone, as he believes that there is no one else able to help him. Finally, the only beacon of light in Saul’s childhood, his grandmother, dies in his arms: “Instead, she was gone. Frozen to death saving me, and I was cast adrift on a strange new river” (Wagamese 24). Saul’s grandmother is very important to him, so upon her death, Saul loses hope that his reality can be handled. From this, Saul tries to
ENG2DE-05
December 17th, 2014
Ms. Douglas
Continuity and Change People fear their past, and the person that they used to be. In the novel, Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese, Saul Indian Horse, the protagonist, is an example of an individual plagued by his troubled upbringing. The journey in which Saul searches for the truth of his past proves that people must confront their past to be able to move along with their lives. When he finally learns the truth about his time in residential schools, he accepts himself. Saul’s journey begins when he is a young Indian, continuing with his days at St. Jerome’s, and finally ends when he is an adult unravelling the layers of his past. Firstly, Saul’s journey for the truth begins in his early childhood. During this time, Saul faces many demons he does not know how to deal with, so he chooses to run away from them. By doing this, Saul is haunted by these demons for the rest of his journey. At a young age, he witnesses the impact residential school has on his mother: “It was as if she was under the influence of a potent medicine no shaman had the power to break” (Wagamese 9). As he sees his parents reject their reality, he also rejects his own reality. This hinders Saul’s journey, as reality must be taken for what it is, not hidden away. His parents also drink as a way to escape: ““Both my parents had taken to the Zhaunagush drink, and we left the bush in pursuit of it” (Wagamese 12). This further distances them from Saul, to the point where they are not there to raise him. This is why Saul embarks on his journey alone, as he believes that there is no one else able to help him. Finally, the only beacon of light in Saul’s childhood, his grandmother, dies in his arms: “Instead, she was gone. Frozen to death saving me, and I was cast adrift on a strange new river” (Wagamese 24). Saul’s grandmother is very important to him, so upon her death, Saul loses hope that his reality can be handled. From this, Saul tries to