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Hockey In Indian Horse By Richard Wagamese

768 Words4 Pages

As the world somehow continues to spin, it is crucial to take a step back and create distance from the harsh realities of the world. In the novel Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese, Saul Indian Horse uses hockey to escape the abuse and cultural genocide from his residential school, while managing to make his mark in the game. The game of hockey plays a positive role in Saul’s life, as it shields him from the brutality of his residential school while allowing him to reconcile with his childhood. When abusive behavior rises at St. Jerome's and forces the children to follow the same customs, Saul needs something to differentiate himself from everyone else. Initially, Saul becomes horrified by the measures the kids go through to withstand the school …show more content…

He fights against the school’s ultimate goal, to break him down and leave him with no other option but to obey the rules. Additionally, when Father Leboutilier reaches out to Saul and encourages him to watch the other kids play hockey, Saul falls in love with the game. Being too young to play, he manages to find other chores to do to gain experience. This does not faze him, at the end of the day he (60) He finds salvation through hockey rather than Jesus, regardless of Christianity being forced among the children. Thinking about hockey while he deals with the struggles of the school makes Saul optimistic. Correspondingly, despite the school playing a negative impact in Saul’s life, reaching out to the …show more content…

To begin with, Father Leboutilier is seen as a father figure in Saul’s life. When Saul parts ways with him, he finds himself having a hard time saying goodbye when he Though his actions of sexually abusing Saul are not justifiable, his intentions are something a father would do. He shows Saul how much potential he has, making it is obvious how much he wants Saul to succeed. It is noticeable Father thinks of Saul as his son, as he spends time helping him improve at hockey and fighting with the other nuns and priests for him. Moreover, once Saul gets accepted as a Moose, the whole team become brothers to him. He describes the team as Being a part of the Moose makes Saul proud and happy, as he begins to form a strong bond with them. The Moose give Saul a brotherhood he never experiences with his late brother, Benjamin. Lastly, Virgil plays the role of a strong, harsh brother in Saul’s life, the moment he joins the family. He makes it known to Saul he has some big shoes to fill, joining the Moose. When leaving the family, Virgil tells Saul Virgil pushes Saul to his limits, thus making him the best hockey player he could ever be, something any brother would do. Even though Saul never felt a strong bond with his biological brother and father, his adoptive parents and hockey team make him feel a part of something

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