Indian Horse Essay

Adversity is like a strong wind. It tear away from us either but the things that cannot be torn, so that we call ourselves as we really are. Adversity implies difficulties, trouble and misfortune as it tests the probable of man and strengthens his tonicity of self confidence. In the novel Indian vaulting horse written by Richard Wagamese there are more circumstances where the main character Saul is forced to over succeed the adversity in which erst shattered his human spirit and made him ascertain worthless. The ideas of adversity such(prenominal) as being beaten at residential naturalises and the racism he faced duration playing hockey, demonstrates Sauls constant national struggle and his desire to become a more powerful individual. end-to-end the novel Saul is exposed to many painful experiences that leave him little(a) to no identity and an unimaginable outlook on life. We quickly hornswoggle that when Saul was a child, he was taken away from his family and forc ed into an Indian Residential School where he witnessed and experienced iniquitys at the hands of the schools educators. They called it a school but it was never that.There were no tests or examinations.The only test was our off screwball to survive.(Pg.79) The emotions present in the quote manufacture the pain and agony he endured when being forcibly taught the ways of the fair 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 assimilating the children. They took me to St. Jeromes Indian Residential School. I read once that there are holes in the universe that swallow all unwarranted, 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 red deer makes disappearing into spruce.(Pg.43) The vivid det ail of this quote al whizz gives more uncloudedness to the impact Residential Schools had on people and shows the in fittingice suffered by the foremost 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 innocence is marginal-down from you, when your people are denigrated, when the family you came from is denounced and your tribal ways and rituals are pronounced backward,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 chicane, such as their language, rituals, traditions and point choice of food. Over a short period of time, the beatings and threats belittled the children and instilled them with day-and-night fear. When taken all together, the horror of attending this Residential Scho ol stripped not only Sauls, but all the childrens innocence, traditions and identity. past from the horrible experiences while attending the Residential School, Saul was forced to sweep over many adversities while engaging in his passion for hockey. In the inception Saul discovers that his cut for hockey serves as a mean of escape. 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 by means of the dim hallways of school warmed by my secret. I no long-life felt hopeless, chill air around me because I had Father Leboutilier, the ice, the mornings and the previse of a game that I would soon be old ample to play.(66) by means ofout the quote it demonstrates how hockey gives him a sense of hope . It is through with(predicate) 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 conten ding for a position within the National Hockey League, the constant racism and dodge 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 some(prenominal) thinking about it.Everything was contained in that glance. tout ensemble 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 verbal abuse constantly bellowed at him because of his sputter color, quic kly weakened his human spirit and built up comme il faut 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 prison-breaking their tradition of the white mans games.Overall, Sauls love for hockey that once allowed him to gain freedom and escape was now stolen from him collectable 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 familiar with the unconvincing 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 sundry(a) types of adversity and his worst fears which created long lasting effects on his life. The creator conveys that staying true to your roots is what will get you through lifes obstacles despite 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 antithetical after all.