Indian Horse By Richard Wagamese Research Paper

Dev Patel Mr. MacLachlan ENL1W8-D 20 June 2024 Saul’s Lost Identity in Indian Horse Thousands of indigenous children across Canada have suffered from the profound trauma of the residential school system. Richard Wagames’s novel, Indian Horse, illustrates a specific story of a young boy named Saul Indian Horse, who finds himself lost in the misery of St. Jerome's residential school. Throughout the book, Wagamese displays the negative effects of the residential school’s physical abuse that Saul went through. In addition, Wagamese shows how the long-lasting trauma of St. Jerome forces Saul to self-isolate and cope improperly. Wagamese highlights Saul’s loss of identity through his escapism, which showcases the lasting effects of physical and mental

The simile “like water under a berg” connects Saul’s physical trauma to his identity. The tip of an iceberg is visible, but underneath the water lies a deeper mass of ice that’s unseen. Saul’s identity is like the iceberg, his “Indian” identity visible to all, but a darker void and mass inside of him. The diction “frigid blackness” also connects the iceberg and negativity, suggesting Saul’s internal state is cold and dark, due to the symbolization of the color black. Saul also mentions “erupt”, which is when something explodes from a buildup of physical or mental pressure, like a volcano, or even an iceberg breaking off. Saul has continuously been targeted physically in and out of St. Jeromes and this accumulation leads him to angriness. Also, the underneath of an iceberg is dangerous, suggesting that the Saul fears his identity. In addition, Wagamese shows how the lasting trauma of St. Jerome's forces Saul to isolate and cope with alcohol. Wagamese shows the impact trauma has on Saul’s mental health. Saul is faced with discrimination and he finds a way to cope, as he says, “In alcohol I found an antidote to exile. and events”

Furthermore, Wagamese uses a metaphor to relate Saul’s alcohol addiction and his internal state when he says “I was an alchemist.my guts” (181). Saul calls himself an alchemist, who discovers cures for diseases. This suggests that Saul is finding himself a cure for his mental and physical trauma through alcohol. The “Assuage” is an interesting diction as it means to turn something unpleasant into something more bearable. “Strychnine” is a bitter and unpleasant substance and he connects this when he says “rot in my guts.” This together suggests how alcohol is temporarily helping him escape from this rotting feeling in his guts which is burning his identity. The use of rotting also suggests that this pain has been with Saul for a long time as it takes time for something to rot. This is proved when Saul says “lunch kit” as it is typically addressed by a child, which shows that this trauma originated from his childhood in St. Jermoes. Wagamese showcases the devastating impacts of St. Jeromes that forced Saul to escape his own indigenous