Keeper N Me By Richard Wagamese

In the novel Keeper 'n Me by Richard Wagamese, he shows the importance of family and culture as a healing process in self-knowledge. The development of self-discovery is based on the world around, what is seen, heard, experienced etc. Learning about one’s self is about individual experiences, it is not something that a book teaches. Pursuing life first hand is the only way to learn about self-discovery. Garnet being alone for so long, leaves him unhappy and feeling meaningless, not having anyone to connect to. Every foster home Garnet’s been to never feels like home, he is always shut out or made fun of. He could not discover who he is as an individual being surrounded by negative energy. Being thrown in jail was a turning point in Garnet’s
When one has a better understanding of themselves they can have occurrences that make up their individuality. Garnet is so lost in himself at the beginning after being taken away and moved around from home to home the only way he could survive alone in the streets was to adapt to the people around him, avoiding conflict at all costs. Combining his past likes with his present, gives Garnet a sense of balance between the old and the new. He discovers a sense of place when returning to White Dog. Garnet’s family gives him the love he did not know he needed until meeting them and connecting as one. Sharing and listening to stories keeps Garnet grounded. For once in his life, he has role models to look up to and learn from. Having his true family by his side allows for power and self-confidence. The Keeper guides Garnet on his journey, fills Garnet’s head with Ojibway culture and traditions which enables him to start paving his own road. Also, the material he learns from the Keeper gives Garnet the motivation to stray away from civilization and makes him aware of why his culture is important and why he must respect nature because of its power and resources. No longer scared of the future, he accepts who he is “More scared of not being enough one now. Not living up to what I learned, y’know?” (274). He gains a spiritual awakening and allows him to look forward to the future. Wagamese shines light on a positive journey of self-discovery and how it takes time to discover who you are. Wagamese informs the reader that it is not something that happens overnight. Garnet now knows what he wants in the world. From family, culture and nature Garnet discovers what it really means to be