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Chapter 50
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Indian Horse, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Family and Tradition
Cultural Genocide
Abuse and Trauma
Racism and Prejudice
Transcendence
Summary
Analysis
The next afternoon, Saul reaches Gods Lake. He docks his boat and comes ashore. There, he begins to see a huge flotilla of canoes, carrying his family. Suddenly, Saul finds himself face-to-face with his great grandfather, Slanting Sky. Saul begs his great-grandfather, “What am I to learn here?” His great-grandfather replies that Saul must learn to carry Gods Lake within himself.
Saul experiences another vision. In this vision, he is given a clear message (even if it’s unclear exactly what it means to carry Gods Lake within himself). Perhaps Slanting Sky is urging Saul to remember his Indigenous roots and honor the memories of his family members. By writing down his life’s story, Saul has begun to do exactly this.
Themes
Saul begins to weep so profusely that he falls to his knees. After weeping for what feels like hours, he hears his name. Looking up, Saul sees only the moon. Suddenly calm, Saul offers thanks “aloud in an Ojibway prayer.”
This experience is clearly cathartic for Saul—meaning that he experiences strong emotions in a way that effectively “purges” him of those emotions, pointing the way toward further growth and healing. Saul experiences a lot of pain in this scene, but afterwards he seems calm and optimistic for the future. He also lives up to his ancestors’ command by honoring his Indigenous heritage when he says an Ojibway prayer.
Themes
