It is sometimes difficult to truly understand the experiences of indigenous individuals and their journey through navigating the challenges of contemporary life . Through Jeremiah Camp, from the novel Sufferance, and Coyote, from the short story Coyote and the Enemy Aliens the theme of power dynamics was shared, both characters also showed the differences in language and character development . Thomas King, through his storytelling and nuanced characters is able to showcase and unveil the true feeling of human experiences in his social narratives.
The exploration of the theme of power dynamics and inequality was evidently present in both the short story and the novel. Through the character of Coyote, Thomas King presents the idea of how absurd the Canadian government policies are and the challenges of the
…show more content…
In the Coyote and the Enemy Aliens, the language is characterized by a sense of humour, and playfulness. As he says, “You still got those toes tucked under that chair? You better keep those hands in your pockets too” (King, Coyote and the Enemy Aliens, 2012) . He uses a conversational tone and pairs it with witty remarks to engage the reader and create a feeling of oral storytelling. King shows the stupidity of the Whitemen’s actions and words through irony and satire. On the other hand, the language in Sufferance is more serious and descriptive. The story is told in 3rd person omniscient point of view for readers to get a deeper understanding of the characters thoughts and feelings. Florence narrates news of Texas police killing women; she says, “Woman was Black. Cops were white. I’m guessing the baby was packing a semi-automatic rattle” (King, Sufferance, 2021) . He conveys the story’s themes and messages through metaphors and imagery. Consequently, the distinct use of language echoes the distinct themes of