The Outside Circle Themes

Despite what some might think, the oppression of Indigenous people is still extremely prevalent today. In Canada, the historical treatment of Indigenous people has been particularly horrible. Indigenous people have faced hundreds of years of mistreatment and abuse at the hands of the Canadian government; although it may not be as obvious now as it was in the past, oppression and racism are still deeply rooted in modern Canadian society. The Outside Circle by Patti LaBoucane-Benson brilliantly addresses this. The Outside Circle is a graphic novel that centres around an Indigenous young man named Pete, living in Edmonton with his brother Joey, their mother Bernice and her abusive boyfriend. Pete and Joey are surrounded by poverty, drug abuse,

The novel addresses the issue of systemic oppression and racism towards Indigenous people in Canada by showing the effects these issues have on Indigenous people today. The Outside Circle best demonstrates the effects of systemic oppression and racism towards Indigenous people through the life of Pete’s mother Bernice. Bernice's childhood, her struggle with addiction and the circumstances of her death prove this. Firstly, what Bernice went through as a child is an extremely important example that supports the fact that The Outside Circle best demonstrates the effects of systemic oppression and racism towards Indigenous people through Bernice.
Bernice's childhood is a sad and unfortunate story, and for many Indigenous people living in Canada it is a sad and unfortunate truth. Many things that Bernice went through in her early years are sad but extremely accurate examples of the effects of the systemic oppression and racism Indigenous people face. As a child, Bernice lived in poverty. She and her siblings were raised in a small home without running water or electricity. Bernice and her

Indigenous Canadians face all of the struggles Bernice went through extremely often because of the oppressive and racist systems that are deeply rooted into Canadian society and even our laws. Bernice had an extremely troubled childhood, from abuse and poverty to the foster care system. Bernice also suffered from addiction and was a victim of domestic abuse. Finally and the most unfortunate of all, it is heavily implied that Bernice was murdered. One of the most devastating effects of the systemic oppression and racism that takes place in Canada is the thousands of missing and murdered Indigenous women, many of whom's cases have never been solved, and likely never will. Bernice's life story is likely very similar to many of these women's stories. Due to years of oppression towards Indigenous people, unfair systems and rigged games have been created that Indigenous people are forced to play. Indigenous people in Canada are often dealt hands of unfair cards, they are set up for failure. Bernice is a sad but perfect example of this. From the time she was a little girl, she had no chance. Many characters in The Outside Circle face many hardships, but almost every single thing Bernice went through is an