April Raintree Identity Quotes

April Raintree, a novel by Beatrice Mosionier, is about a young Indigenous girl who develops an identity crisis, experiences physical assault, and faces abandonment. She must navigate the complexities of her mixed heritage as well as the prejudice and discrimination she encounters from both white and Indigenous communities. Throughout the novel, April's search for a sense of self and belonging is a recurring theme, as she battles with identity issues and the impact of her experiences on her sense of self. April is seen as a strong and proud young Indigenous but later on, she encounters various complications. She is constantly seen to be lying about her Indigenous culture and also lying to herself. As a result, she destroys numerous relationships,

The novel April Raintree is about a young Métis woman who is sexually assaulted after being mistaken for her sex-worker sister Cheryl. April has grown stronger and overcomes her challenges over time. Beatriz Mosioner writes about how April has changed since this incident.“Oh, God, I want to love. This isn’t the way I want to die. This isn’t my moment to die” (148). The struggle of April's sexual assault and trauma truly reveals her identity in this novel. April has never felt the same way and frequently feels insecure. She is seen to be having difficulty fitting in because of her traumatic experience. In contrast, April in the novel has a strong sense of who she is and is capable of leading. This theme is connected to the theme of identity crisis because April has never been the same since her assault. She has battled with her identity and dealt with a wide range of difficulties in life. April is portrayed as a young, defenceless, quiet, sensitive, and gentle

April's family, The Raintrees’, are portrayed as incapable of supporting the girls and keeping them lively. “‘... We moved from one rundown house to another… And of course, we were always on welfare’” (2). Over time, Instead of using the welfare check to meet the family's necessities, their parents would lie and tell their children that it was for medicine, damaging their relationship. This brought a stronger bond between the sisters as April, the oldest sister had to take on the role of responsibility in her family. As a result, the sisters were taken from their parent's custody and placed in different foster homes, separated from one another. The significance of their relationship as sisters and friends is that they risk a lot without thinking of the consequences, such as Cheryl’s suicide at the end. April had discovered that her sister, Cheryl, had given birth to a baby boy names Henry. “Cheryl had died. But for Henry Liberty and me, there would be a tomorrow. And it would be better. I would strive for it. For my sister and her son. For my parents. For my people” (242). April, later on, comes to the conclusion that she should adopt Henry Liberty Raintree and allow him to have a better life, unlike April and Cheryl’s past. April discovers all that Cheryl has been through and continues to live for Cheryl’s