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Trauma In Five Little Indians By Michelle Good

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Trauma Throughout the entirety of “Five Little Indians,” written by Michelle Good, we indirectly experience the unimaginable trauma each character went through. Although they all went to the same residential school, the book shows each character's battle with their own trauma and how they dealt with it. The word trauma is described as an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape, or natural disaster. Now, the word “trauma" is subjective to one's experience, but we know where the source of the trauma came from: the “mission.” The theme of trauma is developed throughout the novel, revealing the lasting effects of the residential school system. For example, the story line of Maise shows her struggles as she never recovered …show more content…

She started out as being a reckless and carefree human. She worked at the Manitou alongside her friends Maisie and Lucy, yet Clara was not afraid to stick up for herself. She fought for herself and anyone she loved, “You fucking bastard! You're ruining her best day ever!” (pg 97) she didn't know how to control her anger, and often let it get the best of her. Her past trauma was concealed inside of her, causing resentment and anger to escape in ways of violence. She let her trauma turn into guilt and her guilt turn into anger.Mariah knew how broken Clara's identity was from the moment she stepped through the door. Shortly after her healing journey began with Mariah, Clara revealed she wasn't only battling with the trauma from the Mission. She was overwhelmed with guilt, guilty for the death of her friend Lily, “Lily. I should have stood up for you more. I should have stood between you and her and refused to take you out into the cold” (pg.198) Clara never spoke of the incident until her time with Mariah. Mariah's first step into healing Clara was to rebuild Clara’s connection to her indigenous side, walking into the lodge, she was voiceless “back to who she was before Sister Mary, before the school, before they tried to beat her into a little brown white girl,” (pg.199) she felt assurance, she was no longer just living to

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