Any relationship goes two ways to maintain our life in balance. and besides impact our life whichever of household or civilization. As Bernice Weissbourd says: “Because it’s non merely a kid is inseparable from the household in which he lives. but that the lives of households are determined by the community in which they live and the cultural tradition from which they come. ” In Keeper’n me. for case. Garnet Raven who was taken away from his household to a series of white Foster places when he was three. Garnet’s experiences as a consequence of the oppressive political and societal policies.
Furthermore. Keeper as a narrator tries to go through the message of traditions and a manner of life to steer Garnet. who arrived in White Dog reserve with anything but Native. to happen himself. Finally. Garnet dealt with adjustment in the life on the reserve and credence of people that around him by larning the Ojibway civilization that Keeper taught him. Through puting. character development and symbols the writer shows that there is more significance to our actions and emotions in happening a topographic point to belong and a balance of life. Traditions which means a usage or belief that has existed for a long clip. impact a person’s individuality. The supporter of narrative. Garnet. ab initio feels edginess and disconnected from his household and his civilization.
Environment alterations the manner that he lives by taking him off from where he was born. When he foremost arrived at White Dog reserve. people laugh at him on history of dressing like a black adult male “ I had my Afro all picked out to about three pess around my caput. mirrored sunglassess. a balloon-sleeved xanthous silk shirt with the long tapering neckband. calcium hydroxide green loose-fitting bloomerss with the small turnups and my hippest brace of platform places. all brown with silver sequins. and three gold ironss around my neck” ( Wagamese 45 ) . He’s merely like a tourer. non cognizing what to make or what to be as an foreigner in his civilization. The society forces him to be person else except Native. It reflects that he tries to suit into White universe by being things that he is non because he was embarrassed to be Indian.
This quotation mark besides foreshadows that he will happen a topographic point to belong every bit far as remaining on the reserve to maintain in touch with his household and Native civilization. During a positive lesson of Native civilization. he starts to suit in the society and gets credence of people. His ma gives him the shirt that he had on the twenty-four hours he arrived at modesty to remind him of where he came from and how he wanted to be. Although his ma revamps the shirt that “ the arms were cut back regular. the long pointed neckband was gone and the threads ran across the thorax and dorsum and down the arms” ( Wagamese 301 ) . He learns the traditional ways of Native and makes the connexion with people. particularly his household. and now he changes the manner that he used to dressing. Everyone needs household in order to happen themselves. no 1 could be his ain individual without cognizing himself.
The milieus compel Garnet to larn Whites alternatively of his ain civilization cause he lost connexion and himself. Puting is one facet of the civilization that affect Garnet’s individuality in societal manner. The scene of the book is really of import in Garnet’s character development and personal growing. The relationship between Garnet and his household is detached because he was raised by surrogate places alternatively of his household. that makes him a batch differences between him and Natives. When he returns to the modesty. he has tonss of things need to larn. particularly the traditional Native religious ways. At the beginning of the book. Garnet was seeking to move others except Indian such as “Hawaiian. Polynesian. Mexican or Chinese” ( Wagamese 19 ) .
He felt lost in White society and attempts to get away world of being an Indian in regard that he doesn’t cognize how to be an Indian and ne’er run into a “real” Indian until he back to the reserve. In this book. Keeper’s voice initiates the narrative that there is something to be learned about people. himself and his intent. Keeper teaches Garnet the spiritual beliefs that helps him to happen a balance in his life. and Garnet follows Keeper’s learning to larn to go a narrator that he will maintain and learn Native traditions. Garnet follows the “Teachings. The blazings made by them that went before. The marks that mark the way we’re all supposed to follow. The way of the bosom. The way of human existences. The ruddy road” ( Wagamese 305 ) .
To Garnet see the loss of civilization and the old instructions should follow it in order to be at peace with nature and people around us. It shows Garnet that his civilization is decline and that he has a opportunity to go a keeper to learn and convey back the traditions. It besides realizes the benefits of larning the manner of Ojibway and being connected to his civilization. The spiritual beliefs give Garnet a good sense of spiritualty that he finds a civilization to belong and cognize himself about what he desires to be and how to make it. The character development is one facet of acquisitions that affect Garnet’s individuality in religious ways.
The scene and character development that Garnet experiences in the narrative aid uncover the powerful symbolism and subjects. The membranophone symbolizes the connexion of traditions and the traditional Native culture’s subject of regard. When Garnet foremost clip to play the membranophone and attempts to sing vocals follow the round. “The round got all scattered and the vocal fell apart on its own” ( Wagamese 135 ) . He tries to experience membranophone and sing vocals as an Indian but still hold more white and black interior him that affect him more than Indian. It reflect that his emotions are confused merely like he starts to play the membranophone but when he attempts to sing vocals at the same clip. he lost the beat. He doesn’t happen a balance of playing membranophone and cantabile vocals every bit good as he doesn’t happen a balance of his life to suit in Native civilization.
This quotation mark besides foreshadows that he will larn the importance of membranophone in Native traditional instructions as a value of how it interacts with others. Drum is symbolic of how sacred and old their civilization is. As Keeper said in the book. “The drum’s the pulse of Mother Earth” ( Wagamese 163 ) . Keeper was explicating how the land is an built-in portion of Native individuality and how he feels the pulse of female parent Earth when he plays the membranophone. It is a connexion to traditions and civilization that remind Indian of simpleness kept them alive through everything and assist them populate in balance with the whole universe.
Drum besides as a representation of female uterus and the whipping of the membranophone is like the whipping of mother’s bosom and stand for the bosom of the land. You treat a membranophone with regard as you’d treat your ma with regard. The values of traditions teach Garnet that finds a balance of his life and regard others particularly mother. The symbol besides is one facet of Native civilization that affect Garnet’s individuality in emotional ways. Keeper’n me is a position of positive manner in Natives’ life by learning Garnet traditions. traditions affect Garnet’s individualities. White society offprints Garnet from his household on the reserve causes that he lost connexion and topographic point to belong. The values of environment positions influence on Garnet’s societal individuality.
Based on the scene. character development shows how Garnet felt lost and no beliefs at get downing. but during larning spiritual beliefs he feels connective and finds himself where he should be. The spiritual beliefs impact on Garnet’s religious individuality. Ultimately. the symbol of membranophone high spots the significances of Native traditions and regard that helps Garnet finds balance of his life. The values of one interacts with others that teaches traditional ways affect Garnet’s emotional individuality. Traditions are the most of import portion of our life. it shows Acts of the Apostless. ideas and influence of individuality in our lives.
