Eden Robinson’s Son of a Trickster took place in the brutal conditions of a reserve. Jared is learning about life and how to grow up. However, he faces significantly more challenges than the average teenager. Some examples include exposure to substances, getting taken advantage of, intense household living conditions, mental illness, and abuse. These things are not common for a teenager to have to deal with and are products of life on a reserve. Indigenous reserves fail to provide a safe environment that looks after the well-being and security of the Indigenous Peoples within their communities. To begin with, substances are a frequent problem everywhere. However, “Indigenous youth are at two to six times greater risk for alcohol related problems …show more content…
From who they are around to being on the reserve, there are numerous reasons Indigenous Peoples struggle with their mental health. Jared’s girlfriend is an example of a person struggling with mental health. While making out, she decides to cut herself: “She used an X-acto on herself in front of him” (Robinson 231-32). There are numerous reasons she could be struggling; however, this action was traumatizing for Jared and made him feel like he needed to be taking care of her all the time. Dylan is another example of an unknown mind struggling with mental health. After getting broken up with Ebony, he sings a song: “Ebs and Tequila” he sang at the chorus” (Robinson 214). Dylan turns to substances after getting broken up with, but he also puts other people's lives in danger with intoxicated driving while going through things. He does not care about me. To conclude, many people struggle with mental health, and the issues presented by the reserve can be a massive …show more content…
This could be strangers, acquaintances, friends, or family. Eden Robinson displays how bad abuse can get through Son of a Trickster. Jared is helping his dad with money, and his mom finds out:“When Jared got home, he found his door kicked in. His clothes were tossed around the room and most of the furniture was broken. The mattress has been slashed. The wall that separated his space from the laundry room was full of punches. “He went upstairs and found his mom covered in drywall dust, her knuckles bleeding” (Robinson 205-06). Jared is put in danger for helping his father out. This is the life he knows. Not always being safe. He does not know about the resources to help him. Earlier, when his ex-stepfather got him alone, he took advantage of him and got pleasure from his suffering: “David had been charged with assault for breaking Jared’s ribs” (Robinson 200). Jared was put in a situation where a white adult male thought it was okay to hurt him for his own enjoyment. David got a fraction of what he deserved, but he later runs into Jared, so he is left off easy for sentencing. He knows he can put an Indigenous child in danger without getting into serious trouble, like he should. Overall, the abuse and assault numerous Indigenous Peoples have to put up with is outrageous, but it frequently happens. Additionally, in less-monitored areas like reserves, this issue can be increasingly