The Rez Sister Sparknotes

Wiktoria Bladek 

Lavorato. C 

NBE3U1-03 

4 October 2016  

                                                                      The Rez Sister Essay  

Tomson Highways play, The Rez Sisters, presents the reader with seven related women living in Wasaychigan Hill, the play shares their perspective and their struggle of finding true identity, often relating back to traumatic experiences. The play is focused around their struggle of abuse, alcoholism, and poor living conditions. The reservation is their home, that is why they find it difficult to abandon it. However they know  they have to leave in order to create a better life for themselves. The biggest bingo in the world sparks their interest to leave the reserve and go to Toronto. The car

ride is essential for the story, the rez sisters share honest struggles and feelings. The struggle each individual women faces, bonds them closer together. 

In the play basic necessities are show to be luxuries.

Each woman has her own idea of what winning the bingo will provide them.  Veronique dreams of having the biggest stove on the reservation, Pelajia wants to build paved roads for her community, Marie-Adele fantasizes over having the most beautiful island. Philomena hopes for a brand-new toilet seat. These simple dreams are overlooked on the reserve, In the book there seems to be one way of living, and it is by being in constant struggle. The dirt roads can symbolize many things in the story one of them being how difficult it is to get out, the path to freedom is the dirt road, it's difficult and can be harmful. Even when the women leave to go to Toronto they face many difficulties like a flat car tire, this demonstrates how impossible it is impossible to leave their society. Marie-Adele's dream is to live on a island disconnected from the negative things she faces on the reserve, like her cancer as wells as taking care of her husband Eugene, and 14 children. An island is a land structure surrounded by water, it is usually far apart from populated area, this can be a sign that Marie dreams of a escape where she can live peacefully. Each women does not fulfill their dreams in the play, but the most important part on the rez is that they have each other, they go through all the difficult times together, because they know that is the only thing the reservation has to

offer.  

One of the more recurring themes in the book is abuse, the most traumatic description in the book is Zahboonigans rape, where two white males rape her with a screwdriver, this shows the dominance of white culture against native culture.

The rape is a symbol of a diminished culture, usually the screwdriver is a tool used to fix various things, in this situation it's used to destroy and corrupt the native culture. According to the play, Zhaboogin name means  “Needle…Going-through-thing.”(Highway 47). Zhaboogin’s name is perhaps an indication to her rape. Highway does not manifest a accomplished community or calm society, but rather a environment that is disrespectful and diminishing. The Rez is not a safe environment. The biggest bingo in the world is the only thing that makes them want to leave their homes behind, the unfortunate thing is that by the end of the book the rez sisters are back where they started, sitting by the roof hanging shingles, this  is a sign that no matter how hard they try to escape they will always end up on the

reserve. 

The third biggest struggle is alcoholism, this is a important issue in a society because it affects the individual as well as people around it. From previous description of the rez, it is no surprise people are trying to avoid their problems by drinking it away, alcohol leads to abuse, which shows how one problem stems to another. On the reservation, alcohol can symbolize a way to combat their struggle. " Everyone here's crazy no jobs. Nothing to do but drink and screw each others wives and husbands and forget about our Nanabush" (Highway 6). This quote describes the dysfunctionality of the environment and how "Nanabush" which is their god is being forgotten, alcohol leads to physical abuse, and injuries. The play shows the reader how the rez reflects the people, the rez is a depressing place, where there is  nothing to look forward to, nothing bothered to even fix, when Pelajia wants to put in paved roads the chief does not agree, and refuses the offer, The reservation is corrupted by the people who are not  taking care of themselves as well as their land. 

In conclusion The play by Tomson Highway portrays the sisters in a poor community that is lacking opportunities, for each individual to strive and develop skills to be something more. Each rez sister has a dream or fantasy about owning something special that belongs to them, however as the result of poverty the sisters do not  gain anything. The rez is a place where they can never escape, or a place where they always will come back to. It is their home after all and they cannot picture a life beyond the wasaychigna hill. Through the difficulties that life has 0ffered them and the loss of their friend, they know they have to stick together, because that is  the only thing they have left, the connection they share is crucial for them to live a fuller life on the rez.