Character Analysis: In Search Of April Raintree

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Children who have difficult childhoods often distance themselves from society’s expectations. Throughout the novel, In Search of April Raintree by Beautrice Mosionier, there are many occurrences where April shows she is challenging society’s set expectations in a positive way. April Raintree is a young metis woman who is trying to receive a job in a racist society who discriminates against her background. April does whatever she needs to do to get a source of income. She is her only way of supporting herself, and does not care what people think of her nationality. Secondly, April has always been determined to be considered “white” ever since she was a child. Lastly, April has a desire to be a wealthy women and does not want to follow her parent’s …show more content…
When April was on the school bus she could hear the DeRosier kids making fun of her at the back. She does not understand why they think it is funny that she is a metis but she does not like it. April wished she was white, therefor would not get picked on for being a different background. April says, “I could hear the DeRosier kids tell their friends I was a ‘half bread’, they are so inconsiderate” (Mosionier 43). This is important because April feels as if they do not care about her feelings. This can destroy a young child’s mind because it may put them in a stage where they are extremely self conscious and feel like they did something wrong. April is determined to be white because she does not want to be hurt of anymore. Therefor, she does anything she can to kill the stigma behind her nationality. However, Cheryl, embraces her nationality, as she should. One day in class, Cheryl is talking about how she loves her heritage and April does not understand why. April says, “But here was my own sister, with brilliant grades, saying such idiotic things” (Monsionier 45). This shows the reader April disagrees with her sister about how she feels about her background. If April did really embrace her background, she would have backed her sister up and supported what she was saying. But, she said the opposite. Understandably, April does not enjoy being metis because during this time period, it was looked down

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