The Importance of Resilience: It Encourages Healing, Defiance, and Builds Strong Character Everyone has their way of coping with trauma. In Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese, Saul plays hockey to cope with his traumatic experiences. Furthermore, in the book, strangers take a young Ojibway boy from the arms of his deceased grandmother and force him into St. Jerome's Indian Residential School in White River. At the school, Saul is subject to physical and emotional abuse. However, he has a natural talent for hockey which he uses to cope, eventually making it to professional leagues. Unfortunately, because of his trauma-filled past, he begins to use alcohol to cope. Overall, this novel explores the themes of resilience, healing, and the ongoing …show more content…
Moreover, despite suffering immense trauma, Saul’s resilience allows him to accept the offer to attend the New Dawn Centre, where he can seek help. Also, Saul utilizes his passion for hockey to remain strong for a while, until the racism and hate build up and he eventually succumbs to the pressure, losing his resilience. He is filled with rage and loses his passion for hockey. Due to the loss of resilience, Saul goes from being a boy passionate about hockey to a rage-filled boy that plays hockey to prove himself. As long as Saul maintains his passion for hockey, he can stay resilient. Additionally, Saul is a great example of how resilience creates a strong, mighty individual. Moreover, although it may be daunting to try and remember trauma in general and heal them, it is truly essential. There are despicable people everywhere, and although people cannot control what others say or do, they can control how they react to it. Will they let it get to them or will they stay resilient and strong? Nevertheless, to help with trauma, using a talent or passion to cope when overwhelmed is very beneficial. However, it must accompany people’s resilience to take responsibility for their own healing and growth. On the contrary, it is important to think about how the words someone says can affect others. People should not judge others by saying hateful remarks out of personal prejudice, as it can lead to much bigger issues like residential