Analysis of <In Search Of April Raintree>
Ke Li 1398422
In Search of Self-Identity for Métis people and Tactical Responses to
Oppression of Our Racist Society
When we are unable to find the pleasant cool in the summer, when we are unable to find the warm sunshine in the winter, when we are unable to find the shinning stars in the evesperal sky, who are we by then? The Canadian Metis are an Aboriginal group who celebrate their mixed-ancestry and identify with a unique Metis culture (Richardson 56). In the novel of Beatrice Culleton, In Search Of April Raintree, two Metis sisters April and Cheryl, have raised up in different foster family and make different experiences in their life. Cheryl self-determines as an aboriginal people, while the first narrative as well as the main character April, have looking for her self-identity from the start to the finish. Finally, she find it, at the cost of Cheryl’s suicide. Included in this list of are illness, infant mortality, foster care, alcoholism, rape, domestic violence against women, prostitution and suicide (Perreault 261). Representing these violations against characters, Beatrice Culleton put forth our comprehension towards the cruelty of a racist society. In this essay, I draw on this work to analysis the forming and the domination of self-identity of Metis people in this society.
The construction of self-identity comes from the initial perception of affiliation of a group. The term “perception of affiliation” refers to sense of belonging. In the tone of April, [her] father [is] of mixed blood, a little of this, a little of that and a whole lot of Indian. [Her] sister, Cheryl had inherited his looks. There [is] no doubt they were both of Indian ancestry. [Her] mother, Alice, on the other hand [is] part Irish and Ojibway. Like her, April has pale skin, not that it made any difference when [they] [are] living as a family. To the contrary, when she was adopted in the Dions, She began to feel of being part of the Dion family (Culleton 32). This feeling of
In Search of Self-Identity for Métis people and Tactical Responses to
Oppression of Our Racist Society
When we are unable to find the pleasant cool in the summer, when we are unable to find the warm sunshine in the winter, when we are unable to find the shinning stars in the evesperal sky, who are we by then? The Canadian Metis are an Aboriginal group who celebrate their mixed-ancestry and identify with a unique Metis culture (Richardson 56). In the novel of Beatrice Culleton, In Search Of April Raintree, two Metis sisters April and Cheryl, have raised up in different foster family and make different experiences in their life. Cheryl self-determines as an aboriginal people, while the first narrative as well as the main character April, have looking for her self-identity from the start to the finish. Finally, she find it, at the cost of Cheryl’s suicide. Included in this list of are illness, infant mortality, foster care, alcoholism, rape, domestic violence against women, prostitution and suicide (Perreault 261). Representing these violations against characters, Beatrice Culleton put forth our comprehension towards the cruelty of a racist society. In this essay, I draw on this work to analysis the forming and the domination of self-identity of Metis people in this society.
The construction of self-identity comes from the initial perception of affiliation of a group. The term “perception of affiliation” refers to sense of belonging. In the tone of April, [her] father [is] of mixed blood, a little of this, a little of that and a whole lot of Indian. [Her] sister, Cheryl had inherited his looks. There [is] no doubt they were both of Indian ancestry. [Her] mother, Alice, on the other hand [is] part Irish and Ojibway. Like her, April has pale skin, not that it made any difference when [they] [are] living as a family. To the contrary, when she was adopted in the Dions, She began to feel of being part of the Dion family (Culleton 32). This feeling of
Cited: C. Monsionier, Beatrice,. «In Search Of April Raintree», Canadian Catologuing in Publicaitons Data. Edited by Cheryl Suzack(1999). Imprimé. Perreault, Jeanne., «In Search of Cheryl Raintree and her mother» «In Search Of April Raintree». Canadian Catologuing in Publicaitons Data. Edited by Cheryl Suzack(1999) :261-272. Imprimé. Richardson, Cathy,. « Metis Identity Creation and Tactical Responses to Oppression and Racism». Varigations, volume 2(2006) :56-71. Imprimé.