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Through the last 5 literature circle discussions, I have gotten the chance to find a reason to love this book every time. While analyzing and discussing the novel Son of a Trickster with my group, I have been able to find symbols, meanings, and connections within the story. I now have an incredible understanding and interest for this book. Four main themes that I extracted from the book was mental health, the Wee’git, family dysfunction, and Haisla and Heiltsuk culture. These four themes were recurring all throughout the story and had their own significant contribution. To represent the Wee’git, I used the symbol of two ravens, one being the raven used by the Haisla and Heiltsuk culture. The protagonist Jared was said to be the trickster by Nana Anita “…his grandmother said. “You know what he did to me. That isn’t your son. It’s the damn Trickster. He’s wearing a human face, but he’s not human.” (pg.11). On from this point, the audience was able to see how Jared struggled with mental health as well as dealing with his family. Jared often turned to alcohol and marijuana when he was going through an emotional time. “Cotton mouth Jared could deal with; weak weed pumped up with mystery crap gave him a headache. But it was bad form to criticize a free high. “I got the munchies,” Jared said.” (pg. 36). I chose a marijuana symbol to represent his substance abuse and head thinking symbol to represent Jared’s inner voice that he encountered near the end of the novel. This inner voice led him to doing things and also contributed to his mental health issues and trying to avoid his problems in life. Throughout the whole story, Jared was experiencing many issues with his family. This is why I chose family dysfunction as another main theme. Jared would sell weed cookies to try and help out his dad while his mother got mad at him and left him all alone for a couple weeks and he also found out his dad was not his real dad, but his real dad was in fact the Wee’git. I used the symbol of a house with a broken heart in the middle to show how at times Jared did not feel safe or happy in his own house. I also used the symbol of two parents and a child to show the relationship between Jared, his mom, and Phil. The last theme that I thought had a great significance in the story was the Haisla and Heiltsuk culture. Eden Robinson chose to incorporate a lot of different animals who have significant meaning to this culture. For example, the grizzly bear represents a great support for those who crave human company and are supposed to act as a friend “The grizzly stopped and pawed the ground when it saw Jared, swaying its great shaggy head back and forth, lowing.” (pg. 265). Other animals mentioned that contribute to this culture were orcas, ravens, and apes. This story took place in Kitimat BC and was published in 2017. The time in which it takes place is not specifically stated, but during the story a historical event that took place in 2012 is mentioned which is the “Idle No More Walk” movement. To represent the emotional setting, I decided to use a symbol that says “Ha Ha” to represent the humour in the novel and the sarcastic jokes.

“Am I a witch?”

“Uh no. You are special-needs magic”

“What” (pg. 232)

 

There was also a lot of love and sympathy in the story from Sarah and Jared. Jared and his mother also share a connection at the end of the story “This world is hard; you have to be harder”) (pg.251). The last two symbols that I used to express the emotional setting was a shocked face to represent the plot twists and a sad mental health symbol to represent the times when Jared was at a low. This novel also had numerous tones. All from mysterious, humorous, and intense. I felt that these tones really added to each scene and provided the appropriate feeling to the reader. Jared was a strong and inspiring character in the story which is why I chose to describe him with these 3 words; selfless, unbalanced mind, and unique. Even through all his issues with family, mental health, and culture he got through it and also learned from his experiences. He did show his weak side as he gave in to substance abuse and let his inner voice take over his mind, but in the end, we got to see how he was a unique individual who had so much more to him than he knew of. In the plot diagram I showed that in the introduction he went through family and mental health issues, then in the rising action he met Sarah, started having an inner voice, and also started to encounter aspects of his culture such as Jwa’sins. By the climax he discovered he was magic, and that Sarah and his mother were witches. This is where he also experienced his horrific time with the orcas who tried to eat him. After these events, Jared started relying on alcohol and started falling off track, but then at the end of the book, he puzzled himself back together and wrote an emotional letter to Nana Sophia. I am grateful that I got the opportunity to read this book and collaborate with my literature circle group to reflect upon the significance behind this book. I truly enjoyed this literature circle and will most definitely read the second book!

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