Wenjack

The novella switches between Wenjack’s first-person perspective and those of the Manitous that follow Wenjack and the two brothers on their escape from the residential school. Occasionally, the text incorporates third-person perspective as well. What literary effects are achieved through the use of these shifting perspectives?

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (2007-2015) uncovered definitive evidence of widespread Abuse in the Residential School System. How does this novella use Wenjack’s experience to dramatize and personalize the Canadian government’s institutionalized program of cultural genocide?

How do elements like youth, the absence or death of parents, and the interruption of traditional Ojibwe childrearing practices work together to shape the narrative of this text? Consider how the decisions and mistakes made by Wenjack and his friends reveal an ignorance of important forest survival skills.