Character Analysis: Monkey Beach

Dylan Li
Mrs. Harrington
NBE3U1-1
May 12th, 2023
Reflection of Monkey Beach
Monkey Beach by Eden Robinson tells a sorrowful story of trauma experienced by the novel’s protagonist Lisa. Through flashbacks and vivid description, the audience reads of Lisa’s somber and hazy past. Robinson’s proficient use of symbolism and imagery while incorporating the greater topics such as spirituality and death make the novel an immersive and engaging read.
The symbolism in Monkey Beach is an integral element in understanding the novel's characters and larger topics. Recurring throughout the novel, Lisa sees a little red-haired man who can appear as a warning of tragedy, or as a comforting friend. Lisa’s grandma was the first to appreciate and teach Lisa of

As Lisa sits near a fire pit while camping she says,“Our fire was a tiny orange dot against the deep black that reached right up to the thick splatter of stars. The Milky Way arched from horizon to horizon, a dusty, glowing path” (115). Robinson’s imagery buries the audience in her beautiful description of the night sky, and her vivid illustration shows the grand perspective which Lisa thinks of. Indigenous people often view themselves as an extremely small part of what makes the universe whole, and this view is important in learning the Indigenous teachings of humility and wisdom. Lisa’s appreciation for the vastness of The Milky Way is a depiction of the Indigenous worldview that each person is a part of something bigger. Alongside Robinson’s strong imagery, her description of expressions and gestures is important for the audience to understand the emotions of the characters. When Lisa makes a controversial remark against her teacher, Lisa says, “The teacher stared at me as if I were mutating into a hideous thing from outer space” (69). The uniquely specific description of facial reactions allows the reader to get a fresh but expressive understanding of the emotions characters feel. The novel’s cunning and rich descriptions allow the reader to feel connected and mesmerized by the