Identity In Richard Wagamese's Indian Horse

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As Prof. Andrea Breen from the University of Guelph explains, “Identity is constructed through stories. Those stories both communicate who we are but also help construct our own understanding of who we are.” Storytelling is established through the experiences one faces in their life. No two people have the same perception of an event or of a person, but through storytelling these unique opinions can be united to form a complete picture. In Richard Wagamese’s, Indian Horse, the main character Saul is on a journey of redemption and recovery from the harsh circumstances, he has faced in his life as a Native person. The only way in which Saul is capable of finding the peace he is searching for is to tell his story which leads to an exploration …show more content…
In the duration of the novel Saul goes on a journey through redemption and attempts to find a way to forgive himself. There are many decisions that Saul made throughout his life that he regrets and leaves him feeling a sense of hatred for himself. Rather than demolishing racial prejudices and stereotypes that were put on him at the times that he played hockey with the Marlies, Saul instead feeds into these stereotypes and “just giving [the crowd] what they want” (Wagamese 165). This leaves Saul with less of an idea of who he truly is, but more of a perception of what others see of his minority group. However, by depicting his story, Saul is now able to redeem himself and no longer live through the stereotypes and misinterpretations. Saul understands that the only way that he can find redemption is to exonerate himself from the things he has done that he regrets, as well as, forgive others for the wrongs they have done Through telling his story he is able to understand the times in his life in which he faced the most struggle and obstacles as he explains, “The only thing I had known for certain was that I had to backtrack, to revisit vital places from my early life, if I was ever going to understand how to live in the present” (Wagamese 207). By the means of Saul finding ways to minimize the impact his negative experiences has had on his life and decisions, he starts on the path at regaining his identity and where he belongs. It is only at the end of the story when Saul apprehends what has caused his struggles and now he attempts to find and go back to the places where he felt safe and felt as if he had a purpose. Saul no longer omits his hardships and decides to live his life without suppressing the past. Saul does not want to continue his life the way he is through alcoholism, he states, “Now I’m just tired of the
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