ipl-logo

Character Analysis Of Garnet Raven In Keeper N Me Richard Wagamese

637 Words3 Pages

People often cannot feel confident in who they are unless they know their past. In the novel Keeper’ N Me Richard Wagamese develops Garnet Raven as a young indigenous man taken away from him his family as a child, which in turn causes him to struggle through life feeling uncertain of who he is and longing for a sense of belonging. Initially, Garnet tries to conceal his true identity as an “Indiyun” because his people have been portrayed as alcoholics and unproductive people throughout his life. Due to this concealment he feels a part of him is missing inside and is determined to fit in somewhere. It is not until Garnet receives a letter in prison from his brother Stanley that he realises in order to fill this lonely pit inside him that …show more content…

Garnet is searching for a place to call home while he goes around town portraying himself as “anybody from anywhere” because of the embarrassment he feels being Ojibway . While going into a bar Garnet meets Lonnie Flowers, a hip, sly, partying man from around town. Once they start talking Lonnie quickly realises Garnet is faking who he is and calls him out. Garnet is immediately consumed with shame, wishing he was “anywhere but that doorway” and wants to escape. This is the first time Garnet is “confronted with [his] own phoniness” and is thrust into feelings of humiliation, guilt and irritation. As time passes, while becoming closer to Lonnie and meeting his family, Garnet is quick to realise that he does not know who he is and where he comes from. Furthermore, all he is able to feel is a sense of loneliness, not the type of loneliness while standing in a crowd filled with people but one that consumes him and is unable to shake. Soon after Garnet recognizes in order to fill this hollow tunnel inside, he must reconcile with his family. Once he arrives in prison due to trafficking drugs he receives a letter from his brother Stanley filled with messages of love, telling him to come home which he

Show More
Related
462 Words | 2 Pages

In the story, “St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves”, the author, Karen Russell, uses feral diction to establish that although people strive for perfectionism in their lives, people cannot become someone or something that they are not, thus causing a loss of identity. Russell uses feral diction in “St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves” to prove that people cannot change who the are. For example, Kyle tried to talk to Claudette, but just succeeded in annoying her instead. Claudette immediately reacted and, according to the story, “I narrowed my eyes at Kyle and flattened my ears, something I hadn’t done for months” (249).

Read More
1187 Words | 5 Pages

Initial Assessment Garnet from the novel Keeper N’ Me seems like a rather resourceful individual that has relied mainly on himself to navigate through life ever since he aged out of the foster care system. The way in which he chose to survive during this time may have been influenced by the pervasively negative stereotypes against Indigenous people, his detachment from his community, family, and heritage, as well as the observed desire to fit in or belong. Garnet’s primary presenting clinical issues seem to be a diminished sense of self and self-esteem. This may be due to growing up in all-white households and schools with no formal education about his family history/heritage or of Indigenous teachings in general. The knowledge that he was able to gather from within these

Read More
1295 Words | 6 Pages

Garnet's life with the Flower family was his first experience with a family and community around him. The more time Garnet spent with Lonnie the more he started to dress and act like him. Living in Toronto with the Flowers was the longest Garnet lived anywhere, but Lonnie never let him forget who he was. Garnet spent his life avoiding any connection to being Indigenous and without truly knowing himself. “A man can’t be his person if the man doesn’t know himself” (Wagamese 31), Lonnie knew that he was avoiding who he truly was; Lonnie was the first person to push Garnet to learn about his family.

Read More
1130 Words | 5 Pages

His lack of exposure to any sort of homey atmosphere limits his capabilities in bonding emotionally to anyone. Wagamese illustrates all of these links and themes through his writing by exhibiting the symbols of Garnet’s lack of a home, as well as a lack of a loving family, but in the end provides Garnet with both. When Garnet does arrive home and meets his family he is finally comfortable with his life. He finds peace and love with his family and poses as a true advocate for those who wish to have a home but are unsure of how to do

Read More
1724 Words | 7 Pages

Throughout literature the constant theme of identity has been explored, with Northrop Frye even suggesting “the story of the loss and regaining of identity is, I think, the framework for all literature.” For characters, true identity isn’t always apparent, it needs to be searched for. Sometimes the inner struggle for identity stems from ones need for belonging. Whether one finds their sense of identity within friends, family, or in a physical “home”. It’s not always a place that defines identity.

Read More
665 Words | 3 Pages

When talking about Grendel, he pretty much goes through a few stages as a little kid and to how he is at the moment. As a kid, Grendel was mostly innocent when he pondered and wandered around his own world that was also an unknown for him, such as the universe. In his “prime”, he discovers a lake of fire snakes, that is full of danger and just treacherous. When he crosses this lake, it shows that he is going into adulthood, pretty much. Also how the encounters has been making impacts on Grendel and changing his personality.

Read More
1268 Words | 6 Pages

The narrator finally understands how Robert can love a woman or even just eat dinner being blind, since looking is not as important as he once thought. The townspeople were also just as wrong about Miss. Emily. When Emily dies, the townspeople are let into

Read More
1520 Words | 7 Pages

“You know, I hearda this guy runnin’ around tryin’ to tell folks he be Hawaiian. A man can’t be his own person if the man don’t know himself. Right, Mama?” (pg. 31) “Keeper’n Me” by Richard Wagamese is a story about finding one’s identity, the balance required in life, the importance of finding your own history and reconnecting with lost friends and family. Garnet Raven did not have an easy life growing up, being moved from foster home to foster home for most of his childhood and being separated from his siblings.

Read More
1795 Words | 8 Pages

Literature 1 Michael Arroyo August 28, 2015 4th Period “As Simple As Snow” by Gregory Galloway “As Simple as Snow” is a mystery novel made in 2005 that may confuse people’s minds with all the art, magic, codes, and love while reading. As a teen age boy who wants to find the secrets his girlfriend who left behind all these mysteries after her odd disappearance. It also tells about the lost gothic girl, Anna Cayne, who meets the young high-school aged narrator. Throughout the postcards, a shortwave radio, various CDs, and many other irregular interest.

Read More
448 Words | 2 Pages

The narrator’s eyes are closed and he is being led by a blind man, yet he is able to see. Carver never explains what it is the narrator sees, but there is the sense that he has found a connection and is no longer detached or isolated. The narrator is faced with a stark realization and glimmer of hope. Hope for new views, new life and probably even new identity. Even the narrator’s wife is surprised by the fact that her husband and Robert really get along together.

Read More
897 Words | 4 Pages

A Literary Analysis: “The Raven” - Edgar Allen Poe “Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore—Tell me what thy/lordly name is on the Night’s Plutonian shore!”/Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.” (“Poe” line 46-48) Out of all of Edgar Allen Poe works, “The Raven, a beautifully written poem with a depressing story, is possibly the best because of it’s popularity, but also for it’s power of making the reader feel and understand what is happening to the character.

Read More
731 Words | 3 Pages

Throughout this story the characters see and can't see figuratively and literally. Each character come to a gradual understanding of each other and see each truth that is uncovered. In this story each character does and doesn't see or understand each other such as his friends, his family, and also himself. First of all, in this story His friends play a big role. One important friend was Victor.

Read More
860 Words | 4 Pages

The narrator begins to change as Robert taught him to see beyond the surface of looking. The narrator feels enlightened and opens up to a new world of vision and imagination. This brief experience has a long lasting effect on the narrator. Being able to shut out everything around us allows an individual the ability to become focused on their relationships, intrapersonal well-being, and

Read More
751 Words | 4 Pages

Edgar Allan Poe had experienced a loss multiple times. Poe married his cousin when she was 13, he was 27. Both of Poe’s parents died in 1811 and so he was raised as a foster child. In the poem “Annabel Lee” he talks about how his love Annabel Lee passed away. In the poem “The Raven” he talks about his love, Lenore passing away and The Raven comes to him and is repetitive.

Read More
707 Words | 3 Pages

Edgar Allan Poe is an influential writer who is well known mainly for his dark and mysterious obscure short stories and poems. Throughout this essay I will analysing how poe uses a series of literary terms such as diction and anaphora in order to convey a bleak, eerie mood and tone. Poe uses these terms in order to contribute to his writing in a positive way, creating vivid images and a cheerless mood. In Poe’s poem, “The Raven”, he uses words such as lonely, stillness, ominous and fiery to add to the building up apprehension within the poem. In addition, he also uses repetition to create fluent yet unruffled, tragic feel for the reader.

Read More

More about Character Analysis Of Garnet Raven In Keeper N Me Richard Wagamese

Open Document