Thursday, December 3, 2015
The Teachings Of The Nuns
Throughout the story we learn that all of the characters attended residential schools. Now residential schools are a major part of Canadian history, and quite a dark part to be honest. The Residential schools came about in the 1880s, they were a method to assimilate young Indians to be like Europeans. Like in the story we learn how they cut the hair of the boys and girls, and how they were not allowed to speak their native language. This actually benefits the story because the characters can speak some English, although some aboriginal words are mixed into the sentence's. The reason that residential schools are mixed into the story are because, it was a real matter that the native people faced. The time period is also highly correct for this situation, and it helped form characters. The people in real life and the people in the story were greatly impacted by these schools, just like how the war impacts them. I feel that residential schools fit in perfectly to this story because even though this story is fictional, many of the events are based on real life making it a very realistic read.
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Very well put. Just like war the schools were a real thing. Boyden adds that in to the story very well by saying how the boys were whipped and on the ground yelling and crying yet Sister Magdeleine still did not stop whipping them. Boyden does not hold back on how horrifying the war was and how truly ugly it was to be a solider and I am glad he does the same with the residential schools. It is a true and real part of our history as horrifying and sad as it is I am glad Boyden added it into the novel.
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