St. Jerome's Indian Residential School Analysis

At St. Jerome’s Indian Residential School, Saul see’s the lonely world, which crams on him like a black hole with no light, however creates a determination for him to stay strong. As he is expeditiously thrown in to the vast world of a different religion he quickly realizes, “They called it a school, but it was never that” (79) … “There were no grades or examinations. The only test was our ability to endure” (79). The emotions and perspectives present in each quote signify the feelings of Saul towards the school and define the school to be unnerving and painful for the Indians living there, however they also show that Saul knows his expectations and is strong enough to tolerate the torture. At the same time, he also encounters the horrendous

By learning about the severe beatings, sicknesses, fears and molestations occurring at the school, a sense devastation is created to the reader’s mind, though in Saul’s mind aside from the havoc he has encountered, there is something else he thinks of. Despite the fact Saul faces the most tragic adversities, he pulls himself aside from the fear and acts secure. Amazingly Saul spoke to himself, as he said, “When the tears threatened to erupt from me at night I vowed they would never hear me cry. I ached in solitude What I let them see was a quiet, withdrawn boy, void of feeling” (55). By remarking the fortitude Saul speaks of, it is exemplified that Saul has enough courage to accept the circumstances he is in and move on, showing the reader even though he has lost many things he has learned to show others he is fearless and strong. Regardless Saul confronts such harsh situations at a young age, by seeing others like him suffer he chooses to face the adversities instead of running away or killing himself, which portrays