In Indian Horse, Saul seeks to find a sense of belongingness, as his experiences from the residential school leave him robbed of it. When Saul begins to play hockey with the Moose, he feels like he has found belongingness once again. Eventually Saul’s hockey career falls apart due to the constant racism he faces, which detaches him from everything: “No matter what I did, I remained the outsider” (162). Throughout Saul’s journey, he experiences both community and utter isolation.
The residential school in the beginning fills Saul with solitude, but he is able to find himself being wanted and acknowledged not long after. What Saul thought to be belongingness however is only an illusion, and Saul ends up in seclusion like when he first arrives …show more content…
Saul uses hockey to block out the isolation from Father Leboutilier because he finds community within the game. When Saul is playing for the Moose, he enjoys his experience playing hockey, as he connects with the team as a whole. Saul is able to handle the abuse that he encounters on the Moose because of the tight relationship he has with his teammates; they are all supportive of each other, and their community overrides any verbal or physical abuse they experience on the ice. The Moose accept Saul almost immediately after Fred Kelly invites him to play. At first however, the Moose are skeptical of Saul because of his size and weight. After they see his skill on the rink they know that he will be a valuable asset to the team, which is the first time Saul finds honest acceptance in the novel: “They raised their own bottles at me silently and drank. No one said a word. […] I was a Moose” (107). The comradery between the players on the Moose is illustrated when they are facing an abusive team in Espanola. Saul is the primary target for the abuse as he is the most notable person on the team. After many harassing comments from the opposing team, Virgil tries to keep the mood high by jokingly teasing Saul: “They warmed you up real fast” (138). Saul recognizes that he is not on his own playing hockey; Saul’s team is there for him. The players on the Moose truly care about their players; they want their fellow teammates to stay focused so they do their best on the ice, which is the reason why Virgil tried to boost Saul’s mood. Saul is finally a part of a true community, something that he has been longing for since leaving the residential
The residential school in the beginning fills Saul with solitude, but he is able to find himself being wanted and acknowledged not long after. What Saul thought to be belongingness however is only an illusion, and Saul ends up in seclusion like when he first arrives …show more content…
Saul uses hockey to block out the isolation from Father Leboutilier because he finds community within the game. When Saul is playing for the Moose, he enjoys his experience playing hockey, as he connects with the team as a whole. Saul is able to handle the abuse that he encounters on the Moose because of the tight relationship he has with his teammates; they are all supportive of each other, and their community overrides any verbal or physical abuse they experience on the ice. The Moose accept Saul almost immediately after Fred Kelly invites him to play. At first however, the Moose are skeptical of Saul because of his size and weight. After they see his skill on the rink they know that he will be a valuable asset to the team, which is the first time Saul finds honest acceptance in the novel: “They raised their own bottles at me silently and drank. No one said a word. […] I was a Moose” (107). The comradery between the players on the Moose is illustrated when they are facing an abusive team in Espanola. Saul is the primary target for the abuse as he is the most notable person on the team. After many harassing comments from the opposing team, Virgil tries to keep the mood high by jokingly teasing Saul: “They warmed you up real fast” (138). Saul recognizes that he is not on his own playing hockey; Saul’s team is there for him. The players on the Moose truly care about their players; they want their fellow teammates to stay focused so they do their best on the ice, which is the reason why Virgil tried to boost Saul’s mood. Saul is finally a part of a true community, something that he has been longing for since leaving the residential