Authors use optimism in writing to connect the reader to the story, by keeping the reader engaged with a sense of hope and positivity. Indigenous writing often has messages of optimism intertwined with the themes. This writing allows for people to take different perspectives when reading, which is more engaging for the reader. The topic of optimism is something easily found in Indigenous literature. In both Medicine Walk by Richard Wagamese and History of the New World by Adam Garnet Jones, optimism is shown through the characters' reconnection to culture, in addition to the characters' relation to supernatural feelings. Reconnection to culture is a significant theme in both books. Individuals and communities need to reclaim their identity …show more content…
There were whispers behind the fence, and then a second voice tried, ’Tansi! Awina kiya?’ The question filled me up. They spoke of nehiyawewin. Our people were there and they wanted to know us!”(Grant-Jones 23). This confirms that the main characters reconnecting with their culture provided a sense of belonging. When the characters moved into the camp, it allowed them to connect with people who have the same traditions and values. This fostered a sense of community, which strengthened this feeling that they belonged. The desire to feel like you belong to something important is an incredible drive and as shown, gives our characters a positive optimistic outlook on a bad situation. It is evident by now that without a proper understanding of who you are, and where you come from, it will be extremely difficult to fit in, which is why reconnecting to culture is important to allow for characters to feel optimistic about their future. In addition to optimism being shown through reconnecting with culture, it's also seen through the relationship to supernatural feelings. This would be things like spirituality and worldly
Growing up, Blackwell was taught in the Cherokee way to believe that stories have power: The power to inspire, the power to heal, the power to transform, the power to incite new possibilities, in fact to create new worlds (Acknowledgements vii). After the
Keeper’n Me, an award-winning book by Richard Wagamese, introduces an exclusive perspective into the way the Indigenous peoples see the world around them. The author gives his own unique narrative, partly based on his own experiences as an Ojibway hailing from the Wabaseemoong First Nation in Northwestern Ontario. In addition to writing Medicine Walk, Dream Wheels, Ragged Company, and Indian Horse, the 59-year-old author, born in 1955, has been recognized with numerous awards. Notably, Wagamese accepted the 2012 National Aboriginal Achievement Award for Media & Communications and the 2013 Canada Council on the Arts Molson Prize. More specifically, Keeper’n Me won the Alberta Writers Guild Best Novel Award. These awards, along with countless
Throughout time, many people feel as if they have lost their connection to their cultural from outside influences and numerous disruptions. Disruptions to one’s cultural can be seen in the Picture book The Rabbits by john Marsden and Shaun tan which is an an allegory of the invasion of Australia. Another example is the film avatar by James Cameron. The creators of these works are expressing the effect of man on nature and disruption it brings upon the cultural of the indigenous people who are the traditional owners of the land.
I am not a child of immigrants, but maintaining one’s culture is a universal struggle in a land far from one’s ethnic origins. Lahiri suggests that without cultural connections such as family and friends, one’s culture can simply vanish if they are not in the land of ethnic origin. I have found this to be true within my own
Stories are much more than just ink placed in clean rows on paper or dialogues that travel through air columns. All stories transform worldly experiences into sources of inspiration and perspicuity and Saul Indian Horse’s story is no exception. In Richard Wagamese’s novel, Indian Horse, Saul Indian Horse explains the events that have resulted in him receiving treatment for alcoholism at a rehab centre. Readers are exposed to the former hockey player’s moments of triumph, failure, and everything that falls in between. Saul mentions in his story how a leisure pursuit like hockey granted him temporary freedom and happiness from his sorrow-filled life. Saul’s example can inspire First Nations individuals to remain resilient in the face of adversity.
Something that has always fascinated me is the confrontation with a completely different culture. We do not have to travel far to realize that people really lead different lives in other countries and that the saying "Home sweet home" often applies to most of us. What if we suddenly had to leave our homes and settle somewhere else, somewhere where other values and beliefs where common and where people spoke a different language? Would we still try to hang on to the 'old home' by speaking our mother tongue, practising our own religion and culture or would we give in to the new and exciting country and forget our past? And what would it be like for our children, and their children? In Identity Lessons - Contemporary Writing About Learning to Be American I found many different stories telling us what it is like to be "trapped" between two cultures. In this short essay I aim to show that belonging to two cultures can be very confusing.
Indian Horse is the perfect novel for any reader who does not see positivity in a bad situation. Richard Wagamese magnificently takes the reader into an emotional rollercoaster throughout their reading journey. Wagamese superbly proves the possibility of getting back up when knocked down, no matter how many times a person is knocked down. Despite the atrocious scenes that come up, Indian Horse is an optimistic novel because it shows that Aboriginal people have positivity and hope not only negatives, and that they are not just “lazy and hopeless”: a reader can see these positives through Saul’s hard work to improve and become the best hockey player he can be, his effort to ameliorate and return to being a “normal” member of society , and the
These moments of pure happiness inspire hope in the hearts of his characters. The Indians are able to find peace for just an instant holding onto it in a beautiful way that allows them to forget the strains of their lives. This psychological phenomenon is exhibited constantly throughout the collection of stories but Victor best embodies it when he remembers his father. He changes “[T]he memories. Instead of remembering the bad things, remember what happened immediately before. That’s what I learned from my father.” (page 34). Instead of remembering how his dad left him when he was young he savors the memory of him when he was there. By being able to be thankful for the days with his father Victor can make life without him less painful. Alexie shows through Victor’s use of this coping mechanism of thankfulness that Reservation Indians are happier with the little they have than the spoiled people of the rest of our country. This idea is clearly a positive and shows that Alexie’s realism is not all just the racist, stereotypical garbage that many claim it is. Instead it has actual meaning behind it; it is simply an examination of the Native American’s lifestyle and world-view
Each of these cultural competences has its own impacting influence and effect over the continuum of the lives of the characters that comprised the story. Towards the progress of the story, the impact of cultural values, beliefs and traditional norms that guided the Hmong people set up their own unique traditions and practices. This influenced the overall development of their cognitive skills and emotional capacities. Furthermore, these cultural competences defined their lives, how they lived in the community and how they organized their roles and their functions towards the society. These were various cultural domains that overall defined their personality and how they should live their lives and unique individuals. However, it was these same cultural and religious considerations that separated them the "normal sense" of development, function and expression of existence (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2009, p. 1). These are the cultural and religious influences that disabled them to understand the narrative display and critical applications of modern knowledge and science. Because of their own set of cultural display and traditions, the Hmong people could not care less of the applications and understanding of modern practices and expressions. Likewise, after Lia was thought of being possessed by an evil spirit, the community thought of her as a poor girl disturbed by the lost souls.
Storytelling is known to be a part of many people’s childhood. These stories told from parents and guardians, are often told so that the children will either quickly fall asleep, or be entertained. However, in Three Day Road, written by Joseph Boyden, the deeper meaning behind storytelling is revealed through the Cree’s perspective. Throughout the novel, readers are able to understand that storytelling allows Xavier to regenerate, and establish deeper connections with Niska. Also, the journey to accepting reality is demonstrated through Xavier’s adventure. Ultimately, Boyden displays storytelling as a form of revitalizing one’s human spirit.
The Return to Laughter is a fictionalized account by Elenore Smith Bowen about her experiences with the Tiv culture in Africa. It describes her struggles to learn and understand the local culture and beliefs, and juxtaposes her own conflicts, morals and beliefs. Bowen engages in what anthropologists termed participant-observation. The anthropologist made a few mistakes that provided revelations about herself and the Tiv people. Language difficulties provide the greatest barrier: as when the researcher is trying to understand the context of the conversation, while still struggling with the intricacy of a difficult language. Secondly, like most anthropologists Bowen knew that social relationships are a research requirement: informants are needed, yet she quickly realized that identification with one family, status or group in the society could hinder other critical relationships. These lessons are among a few that the anthropologist seeks to overcome. This essay will discuss that culture and language are dependent on each other and how forming social relationships can propel research and reveal insightful knowledge into a culture, while possibly hindering other useful information.
In an article about refugee children in Canada, the authors state “The community...play[s] a crucial role in assisting and supporting children to adjust and integrate into… society.” (Fantino & Colak). This quote demonstrates that with the community’s consistent support, refugees can have a sense of belonging in their new homes, which can be extremely important while trying to acclimate to society. In Inside Out and Back Again, Há says “She says it over and over like a chant, slowly. Slowly the screams that never stopped inside my head turned to a real whisper” (Lai 210) while describing the actions of Mrs. Washington, a neighbor and role model of Há’s. Mrs. Washington played an important part in Há becoming used to Alabama, clearly demonstrated when she helped Há calm down after she was bullied and disrespected by Pink Boy after school. Due to Mrs. Washington’s actions, Há could feel more supported during her struggle against the bully, and in turn she could feel like she was “Back Again” in her new environment. Há says in one of her poems that “Before school our cowboy shows up… he whispers to Mother and Brother Quang” (Lai 203). After being bullied, her family’s sponsor finally gives her support by trying to fight back against Pink Boy. Though this action doesn’t help Há at the the time, it helps Há feel like she is supported during her adjustment. This support, in addition to the support given by Mrs. Washington, results in Há feeling like she belongs, which helps her make it through her difficult journey of adjusting to Western society. The more support evacuees receive from their host communities, the easier life becomes for them and the more comfortable they become, which results in positive adjustment to their new
In conclusion, this book gave me a whole new view on life and how we can interact better with different people. The book emphasized that culture is key to understanding people. Sometimes it is hard to connect with others because they are indicated as different but in due time we can adjust. Every culture has their own traditions when it comes to what they eat, what to wear, dating, various ceremonies, holidays and more. Reading this book helped me become more accepting of who I am and where I come from.
“A Worn Path” is a short story written by Eudora Welty. It is based on an elderly African-American grandmother named Phoenix Jackson, who goes for a walk to the town of Natchez on a cold December morning to get some medicine for her ailing grandson. This story speaks of the obstacles Phoenix endured along the way and how she overcame them. The theme, central idea or message that the author wishes to convey to his or her readers, in “A Worn Path” is one of determination. Phoenix Jackson is determined to get to Natchez, in order to get medicine for her grandson; she does not let any obstacles get in her way. The theme of determination is shown in many ways throughout this short story.
The main character’s civilization had religious beliefs long before the white man presented his ideas. Essentially, the Sioux religion was based on nature. It is difficult to pinpoint the exact beliefs of the group because of the deficiency of information. However from the text, some aspects can be gathered. First, it appears as though everything in nature is believed to retain a spirit. Zitkala-Sa is observing the flowers and personifies them, assuming they are possessive of a spirit by saying, “Their quaint round faces of varied hue convince the heart which leaps with glad surprise that they too, are living symbols of omnipotent thought.'; (102) Everything natural was incorporated into their religious beliefs. Thus, the people receive refreshment of the soul through companionship with the outdoors. The narrator describes a spiritual experience as, “to seek the level lands where grow the wild prairie flowers. And they, the lovely little folk, sooth my soul with their perfumed breath.'; (101) The Indian girl turns to nature to have her spiritual needs met, which is reflective of the behavior of her people. Thus, although the concept of spirituality as the white man understood it was not incorporated into the Indian culture, the Natives did, in fact have a religion, and maintained universal beliefs and practices.