Indian Horse Summary and Analysis of Chapters 7 to 38

Assignment Task

Indian Horse Reading Guide: Chapter 7 to 10

1. Compare and Contrast: In chapters 7 and 8, the grandmother and Saul's mother and aunt discuss their differing beliefs about spirituality. Explain the two views and why they differ. Are there any similarities?

2. Metaphors and Personification:

Metaphors compare two things saying one thing is another. Personification gives human qualities to non-human things and is a type of metaphor.

a. Keewatin (the north wind) rises out over the edge of the barren lands and grips the world in fierce fingers born in the frigid womb of the northern pole.

b. The cold was an awesome beast.

c. The humped shapes of boulders on the shore wore cloaks of white.

Use two of the sentences above as models and write two metaphors/ personification of your own.

3. On page 34 - 37, Saul's grandmother demonstrates amazing skill at living in the wilderness. What are three actions she takes to keep them alive?

4. Describe Saul's loss in the first ten chapters of the novel? What does he face and how would that feel for him or for any child?

5. The end of chapter 10 is a significant turning point in the novel. Explain what happens on page 42 and what you think will happen next.

Indian Horse Reading Guide: Chapter 21 to 25

1. Compare and Contrast: Re-read the last sentence on page 77; the first sentence on page 78; and the first paragraph on page 83. What is Wagamese contrasting in these chapters? How significant is hockey for Saul and why?

2. In chapter 21, Wagamese writes about the residential school as "hell on Earth." List five harms that befell the children at St. Jerome's.
Personal Response: What are your thoughts, reactions, and feelings after reading this?

3. Characterization: What kind of man is Father Leboutlilier? Find three examples from chapter 22 that tell you about him. List them below and then explain what this tells you
about his character.

• What this tells us about the character

4. Plot: In chapters 24 and 25, there is another major turning point in the novel's plot. Explain, with reference to the novel, what happens to Saul in these two chapters. Is this change positive or negative for the protagonist? Why?

5. Inference: On page 99, Saul moves to Manitouwidge. He recalls: "I'd learn fast enough that an invisible line was drawn across the intersection of Sanderson Road and Township Road Eleven that everyone regarded as part of the geography." What is the invisible line he refers to? What does it show about people's attitudes in that town?

Indian Horse Reading Guide: Chapters 32 to 38

1. Setting: "I began to notice things after that. I started to see a line in every arena we played in."(p. 137) What is the line that Saul can see, and how does he experience racism as an Indigenous player? What was Canada like at that time? Give examples from the text.

2. Personal Response: In chapter 32, Wagamese writes: "There are times in this world when you have to look hard at yourself. ... I knew my team wanted me to buckle. They wanted me to bare my fists and fight. But I would not do that." 

• Why does Saul refuse to fight the other players? Do you think he did the right thing? What
• would you do in his situation? Explain why you think you would react that way.

3. Characterization: In Chapters 34 Saul is scouted by Jack Lanahan. Review the chapter and explain how Lanahan connects with Saul. What kind of person does Lanahan describe himself as, and what do he and Saul have in common?

4. Motivation: In chapters 36, Saul's teammates convince him to pursue playing for the NHL. Why do they think he should leave Manitouwadge? Give specific evidence from the chapter and use one quote (at least) from this section of the novel. Do you think Saul's teammates are right?

• Why or why not?

5. Theme: One of the themes of the novel is the pain and debilitating impacts of racism. List four examples of racism Saul encounters in chapter 38. How is he finally broken by the pervasive racism he experiences?

• Example from the chapter
• How is he broken?

This Arts and Humanities has been solved by our PhD Experts at My Uni Paper.