Perseverance Through Trauma In Indian Horse By Richard Wagamese

Nora Tsang

Mrs. A. D’Addario

NBE3UAG

18 July 2023

The Recurring Utilization of Perseverance Through Trauma in Saul’s Life

For one to overcome and recover from their trauma, they would have to find strategies to confront and accept it. Persevering through trauma is a common and recurring theme within the many major themes of the book Indian Horse, written by Richard Wagamese. Readers recognize that the main character, Saul Indian Horse, encounters many traumatic experiences throughout his childhood. In the novel, perseverance through childhood trauma is repeatedly demonstrated by Saul’s endurance through bereavement in his family, sexual abuse, and prejudice in hockey.

Saul’s experience with bereavement in his family is the first tragedy and

In the novel, it is only revealed to the readers that Saul was abused at the end when Saul relives the horror of Father Leboutilier’s manipulation while revisiting the residential school. The reasoning behind this likely is because Saul hides his abuse by moving closer to the game and abandoning himself, ultimately avoiding reliving his memories. Once Saul recalls his memories, he remembers how “[t]he truth of the abuse and the rape of [his] innocence [was] closer to the surface, and [he] used anger and rage and physical violence to block [himself] off from it” (Wagamese 218). Saul hides the fact he was abused from himself and blocks it out because of the shame and guilt he had from enjoying the physical attention. However, racism and prejudice allow him to realize that the abuse was never his fault. Though it had taken years, Saul is able to come to terms with the fact that he could no longer shelter the truth that he was manipulated by his closest supporter at the school. Adding on to his abuse, this traumatic event would be one of many instances when Saul faces

Saul is introduced to competitive hockey but simultaneously introduced to a world of prejudice and racism from both the crowd and opposing teams as well. Saul finds himself growing in his career however, prejudice would only increase as it followed. Although Saul would face physical and verbal assault during games in his competitive years, Saul is able to counter the assault by responding physically and fighting back. This is when he realizes that the competitive world took away his love of hockey, so he decides to go back to Manitouwadge to rediscover his love for hockey. It is then when he decides “what [he wants] to do is coach . . . Kids. Native kids. [He wants] to bring them the joy [he] found; the speed, the grace, the strength and the beauty of the game. [He wants] to give that back” (Wagamese 231). Saul builds on his experience with prejudice by ensuring no one else goes through the same thing by deciding that he wants to coach hockey teams for Indigenous children to share his love for hockey but in a healthier