When individuals experience prejudice or discrimination because of their ethnicity, this act of indecency is considered to be racism, the perception that one’s race is superior or inferior to that of another. Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese is a novel in which explores the many effects racism has on Native Indians. Saul’s sense of identity being lost is due to the persistent ideologies the whites have in respect to his culture which lead him to making decisions that greatly influence his life.
The behavior of the whites cause Saul to lose his identity in the process of being forced into believing that his Ojibway traditions are morally wrong. Firstly, Saul is immediately directed to accepting that he will not be viewed as an impartial during …show more content…
To begin, he resists the racist crowds at first by giving into what they want, for him to fight back. Saul does so by “skat[ing] with the deliberate intention of shoving [his] skill up the noses of those who belittled [him], made [him] feel ashamed of [his] skin” (164). This kind of behavior turns out to be something unlike his style, forever changing the game for Saul and no longer giving him the joy it once did. Soon after, he resorts to alcohol as a means of coping to take away the pain and anguish he suffers from. Saul describes it as “[t]he ultimate device,” and explains that “[i]t lets you go on breathing but not really living. It lets you move but not remember. It lets you do but not feel” (217). This is the result of him feeling the need to flee from racism, to relieve stress, however it only distances Saul and suppresses the truth from himself. Later on, he admits that giving up hockey is something that he genuinely regrets and often wishes that he had not done so. Saul reveals that “the loss of [this] gift has been my greatest sorrow” (3). This depicts that albeit his sufferings, hockey is something that he authentically loved and cherished which he hopes to be able to play the game again one day. Without doubt, it is evident that Saul’s life is notably influenced as a result of the decisions he makes because of
The behavior of the whites cause Saul to lose his identity in the process of being forced into believing that his Ojibway traditions are morally wrong. Firstly, Saul is immediately directed to accepting that he will not be viewed as an impartial during …show more content…
To begin, he resists the racist crowds at first by giving into what they want, for him to fight back. Saul does so by “skat[ing] with the deliberate intention of shoving [his] skill up the noses of those who belittled [him], made [him] feel ashamed of [his] skin” (164). This kind of behavior turns out to be something unlike his style, forever changing the game for Saul and no longer giving him the joy it once did. Soon after, he resorts to alcohol as a means of coping to take away the pain and anguish he suffers from. Saul describes it as “[t]he ultimate device,” and explains that “[i]t lets you go on breathing but not really living. It lets you move but not remember. It lets you do but not feel” (217). This is the result of him feeling the need to flee from racism, to relieve stress, however it only distances Saul and suppresses the truth from himself. Later on, he admits that giving up hockey is something that he genuinely regrets and often wishes that he had not done so. Saul reveals that “the loss of [this] gift has been my greatest sorrow” (3). This depicts that albeit his sufferings, hockey is something that he authentically loved and cherished which he hopes to be able to play the game again one day. Without doubt, it is evident that Saul’s life is notably influenced as a result of the decisions he makes because of