Clara is a resilient survivor of the Canadian residential school system and a main protagonist in Michelle Good's novel, 'Five Little Indians'. Clara is a survivor of a residential school located in British Columbia. Near the beginning of the novel, Clara appears to have a lot of anger and resentment built up inside of her. "Clara, with a raging scream, pounced on Harlan's back, her wiry legs wrapped around his waist, punching him in the back of the head and yelling at the top of her lungs. Everyone knew Clara had a hair-trigger temper in situations like these when things were just plain wrong" (Good, 97). Harlan was Clara's boss at the time and had made some very racist and insensitive comments, and it's clear that these comments got under …show more content…
It isn't until Clara meets George that she can channel these harsh emotions into something good and worthwhile. Clara chooses to help George in the fight for the rights of Indigenous people and in the fight to get the Canadian government to acknowledge the trauma they faced at the hands of the residential school. It's this choice that Clara makes to help in this fight that changes her life. "People like George and Clara, in support of AIM, were called in when the old people, who were speaking up for the future, arguing against selling, started getting hurt" (Good, 145). In choosing to support the AIM (American Indian Movement), Clara can channel her feelings of anger and hurt into something positive. She becomes courageous and resilient in times of danger and not only is she able to help other people, she also learns how to help herself in overcoming her trauma. After Clara is chased through the border, she is forced to remain on a reservation with a woman named Mariah while recovering from a shoulder injury. During her stay with Mariah, Clara is forced to confront her trauma and accept how it has altered her life. Clara cried and