It is sometimes difficult to truly understand the experiences of indigenous individuals and their journey through navigating the challenges of contemporary life . Through Jeremiah Camp, from the novel Sufferance, and Coyote, from the short story Coyote and the Enemy Aliens the theme of power dynamics was shared, both characters also showed the differences in language and character development . Thomas King, through his storytelling and nuanced characters is able to showcase and unveil the true feeling of human experiences in his social narratives.
The exploration of the theme of power dynamics and inequality was evidently present in both the short story and the novel. Through the character of Coyote, Thomas King presents the idea of how absurd the Canadian government policies are and the challenges of the
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In the Coyote and the Enemy Aliens, the language is characterized by a sense of humour, and playfulness. As he says, “You still got those toes tucked under that chair? You better keep those hands in your pockets too” (King, Coyote and the Enemy Aliens, 2012) . He uses a conversational tone and pairs it with witty remarks to engage the reader and create a feeling of oral storytelling. King shows the stupidity of the Whitemen’s actions and words through irony and satire. On the other hand, the language in Sufferance is more serious and descriptive. The story is told in 3rd person omniscient point of view for readers to get a deeper understanding of the characters thoughts and feelings. Florence narrates news of Texas police killing women; she says, “Woman was Black. Cops were white. I’m guessing the baby was packing a semi-automatic rattle” (King, Sufferance, 2021) . He conveys the story’s themes and messages through metaphors and imagery. Consequently, the distinct use of language echoes the distinct themes of
The novel addresses the issue of systemic oppression and racism towards Indigenous people in Canada by showing the effects these issues have on Indigenous people today. The Outside Circle best demonstrates the effects of systemic oppression and racism towards Indigenous people through the life of Pete’s mother Bernice. Bernice's childhood, her struggle with addiction and the circumstances of her death prove this. Firstly, what Bernice went through as a child is an extremely important example that supports the fact that The Outside Circle best demonstrates the effects of systemic oppression and racism towards Indigenous people through Bernice.
Also, similes are tools that the author uses when portraying the situation
By portraying indigenous characters in a nuanced and realistic manner, he challenges preconceived notions, enabling readers to recognize the inherent humanity we all share. Through his storytelling, he hopes to break down barriers and facilitate a better understanding of indigenous experiences, histories, and perspectives, thereby contributing to Canada's ongoing discussion of reconciliation and healing between indigenous and non-indigenous
“If we want to live at peace with ourselves, we need to tell our stories” (3). In Richard Wagamese’s novel, “Indian Horse”, a man named Saul Indian Horse is introduced and he tells his story. He faces a lot of hardships on his journey, including racism, physical abuse, and sexual abuse. He is exposed to violence multiple times. Saul’s experiences help readers understand what it is like as an Indigenous person growing up in Canada.
Exploring Identity in Literature: A Comparative Analysis Imagine living in a world where you are not recognized and respected for who you are. This is the reality for many Indigenous people who have faced centuries of assimilation. In this essay, I will compare and contrast two works of literature that explore the challenges and experiences of the Indigenous people: Indian Horse by Richard Wagemese and Borders by Thomas King. Indian Horse is a novel about an Indigenous boy named Saul, who survives the horrors of residential school. He finds an escape playing hockey, but his past haunts him which later leads him to alcoholism.
Throughout the entire novel, the author’s use of literary devices is very clear. These literary devices, specifically similes and personification, help the reader get a better idea of the exact sounds and feelings which will allow them to know what it feels like to be there in that moment. “ I stood there, trying to think of a comeback, when suddenly, I heard a whooshing sound, like the sound you get when you open a vacuum-sealed can of peanuts. Then the brown water that had puddled up all over the field began to move. It began to run toward the back portables, like someone pulled the plug out of a giant bathtub.
Moreover, this passage is delicately laced with intricate details of the story, and is a familiar vehicle for conveying the novel’s
Kelley’s diction adds a tone to the piece and allows her to get her message across with helping the reader understand more deeply . Kelley’s use of imagery, appeal to logic,
By exploring the novel's characters, setting, and themes, in the novel, love and symbolism highlights and portrays the main character,
This connects to the recurring theme in the story, the Theme of Survival in a crisis. The book repeatedly presents the adaptability of indigenous people in crisis throughout history using examples of the residential schools in Canada and the challenges the characters in the book are currently
Urrea introduces immigrants and invests his readership in their dreams and hopes. He reaches back to Mexican roots and highlights stories about the coming of the missionaries and Spanish explorers (Urrea, 2008). In his bid to make the background of the story understood, Urrea also focuses on highlighting about Native American tribes, the human traffickers and smugglers that operate on the Devil’s highway. All the highlighted entities and groups represent a complicated set of values including money, religion, superstition and even black magic and Native Indian culture. This widespread highlight gives the book more focus than just looking at the main problem of immigration.
Alexie's repetition also evokes emotion from the reader. The reader immediately becomes interested in Alexie's life. When he uses the same phrase he used to relate to his life and talk about the Native American children, the reader feels
Imagine, a girl sits in a burning hellscape, the sky burning red, and the street is littered with bodies, holding her dead father in her arms. In the historical fiction novel, The Book Thief, Markus Zusak writes to young adults about the time in the life of a little girl, Liesel Meminger, growing up in Nazi Germany through the eyes of death. A big reason the book is so emotional is due to Zusak’s way of writing which makes it so strong. He uses wording and metaphor to build up emotional gut punches, writes archetypes and settings in a way to attach readers to them, and outlines his themes using symbols to express said themes. Markus is an expert in wording and metaphor.
(1). He uses the rhetorical device of figurative language to give the reader a strong image of his feeling
Throughout history, there have been many literary studies that focused on the culture and traditions of Native Americans. Native writers have worked painstakingly on tribal histories, and their works have made us realize that we have not learned the full story of the Native American tribes. Deborah Miranda has written a collective tribal memoir, “Bad Indians”, drawing on ancestral memory that revealed aspects of an indigenous worldview and contributed to update our understanding of the mission system, settler colonialism and histories of American Indians about how they underwent cruel violence and exploitation. Her memoir successfully addressed past grievances of colonialism and also recognized and honored indigenous knowledge and identity.