Monkey Beach
Introduction
The novel Monkey Beach authored by Canadian Aboriginal, Eden Robinson, indicates a fusion or integration between the contemporary world and traditional world of Robinson’s ancestors. The story enables the audience to travel through the thought process with a protagonist character whose livelihood is in persistent conflict with her wishes to lead a life in denial, or ancestral traditions. Similarly, Robinson extends her native culture by focusing on symbols like Ravens, spirits and oceans facilitating for a reflection on the significance between natural and spiritual world. When faced with realities and challenges of contemporary aboriginal like in Canada, Lisa draws on her traditions, spirituals gifts and family to come to grip with her family’s past and looks forward to the future.
Setting of the book
The Robinson story is set on the Northwest coast in the land of Haisla People on the Douglas Channel between Bella Coola and Prince Rupert. The character is from the village of Kaimaat, where he was born and raised. Monkey Beach is partially contemporary psychological motivator and partially tragic because of the events unfolding within the society. It is anchored on Haisla myths, symbolism and legend. It is a developing novel providing insights of sorrowful young girl on rivalries, families, fear, love, abuse and aggression, (Robinson, 2000). The setting is dominated with extensive landscapes, beautifully drawn characters, extensive sense of humor and inexplicable beings such as Ma-ma-oo and Trudy. She is independent, tough and visited by spirits and ghosts. Robinson’s life is full of impossible events and she is in the midst of natives who are experiencing some challenges to integrate Haisla People’s cultural traditions with contemporary life. In a unique and direct language she integrates contemporary times with traditional memories. The book is an illustrated book because of the developments of themes from characterization.
Themes
Various themes emerge from Robinson’s story for instance, spiritual awareness. For instance, Lisa (main character) struggles with her present in balancing the spiritual and natural worlds. First Lisa sees a (small) man who frequently appears before misfortunes occurs in the village. Second, Lisa frequently dreams about individuals in her life and by seeing symbols that warn her of imminent events or assist her struggle within life. Thirdly, throughout the story, Lisa constantly sees a ghost and towards the end of the story, she starts sleepwalking. This is a reflection of the spiritual challenges affecting Lisa in the present world. Additionally, Lisa flirts with ill intentions and regularly summons spirits to aid herin resolving her challenges via a meat offering. This is an act of offering to the ancestors to help her overcome her challenges or hindrances towards the achievement of the goals and objectives. Lisa seeks help and direction from her gift (spiritual gift) though her grandma Mama-oo. When her grandma passes away she no longer has someone to rely on for guidance and she turns to alcohol and drugs (Plett, Canadian Theses Service & National Library of Canada, 2005).
Grief
From the beginning of the story, readers learn that Mick (Lisa’s uncle) grieves for the death of his wife through an inexplicable accident. Mick’s grief manifests in his nightmares when Mick calls his dead wife’s name. Lisa’s grandma does not lament for her departed husband because he abused her. Her aunt increasingly laments for her childhood experiences as she developed with her intolerable father and later sent her to boarding school. In order to cope with her sorrows, Trudy turns to drug abuse and constant blame on the Lisa’s parents. When Lisa lost her uncle, she mourns by becoming numb and isolating from her close friends and withdrawing from school. When her gift dies (spiritual gift), she reacts by turning to drugs and alcohol abuse. Lisa goes back to the village following the death of her friend and attempts to relieve the sorrow by going back to her studies and concentrating on a goal. In addition, Lisa’s brother, Jimmy handles his tragic loss in an Olympic swimming through aspects of fury and alcohol abuse (Robinson, 2000). His sorrow ends when he started a relationship with Adelaine. Consequently, when Adelaine leaves Jimmy his sorrow and drug abuse rekindles until she comes back and restores their relationship.
Sexual Assault
This is seen when residential school priest sexually assaulted Josh. Josh reacts by raping Adelaine hence impregnating her. Adelaine decides to terminate the resulting pregnancy because of the social image and status within the society. To illustrate the involvement of sexual assault within the novel, a gang of white men teases to assault Erica and threatens Lisa when she tries to intervene. This threat from the gang of white men is sufficient in the prediction of the loss of Lisa from the community. Trudy, Lisa’s aunt explains that they were unable to kidnap a white girl because Lisa belongs to a native community and the society expects her to be a slave; thus it is predictable that white men kidnapped her from the village and assaulted her. Jimmy discovers that Josh assaulted his girlfriend Adelaine and avenges by killing him.
Family Relationships
The story documents the theme of the extended family relationship among the Canadian society. The society values family relationships because Robinson’s story talks of extended family relationships. For instance, the characters in the story are mostly members of the same family – Lisa, her brother Jimmy, Adelaine (Jimmy’s wife), Trudy (Lisa’s aunt), Lisa’s uncle (Mick) and Lisa’s grandmother. These characters have common ancestral descent and lineage. They share common cultural traditions, morals and values (Scoper Jones, 2007). Needs to expand
Racism
Racism occupies a central position in the novel too. For instance, themes of racism is evident when Ba-ba-oo, Lisa’s grandpa losses his arm but fails to obtain compensation from the Veterans affairs with the claim that Indian Affairs should compensate him for the injury. This is in contrast to his white colleagues who benefit from full compensation due to the injuries inflicted on them during the war. Subsequently, the author manages to bring the contrast in the way the government treated civilians (Kramer-Hamstra, 2009). The state favored the Whites over the Aboriginals. Thus, it is evident that racism is a common practice in Canada (Kramer-Hamstra, 2009). Another instance in the novel that portrays an element of racism is the way the Whites treated the Black women. In the novel, there are cases where the Whites sexually abused Black women, which further confirm the discriminatory acts by Whites against the Blacks.
Reflection of the story
Robinson’s ideology is a part of strategy of storytelling that reflects global views and experiences of Canadians. A further analysis of this novel provides facts about the Whites’ continued oppression of Canadians. The novel also provides a rich analysis of the traditional beliefs and cultural practices of the first people of the North American Land. Robinson demonstrates different forms of marginalization and oppression of women in a different perspective. For instance, Lisa, Adelaine, Trudy and Ma-ma-oo are victims of sexual assault and oppression by both Aboriginal and white men (Plett, Canadian Theses Service & National Library of Canada, 2005). In addition, Lisa and her family live in a male dominated society where they only have a say and fight against each other for domination. For example, Lisa’s grandma only mourns of assaults and domestic violence from her husband but does nothing about it. In Adelaine’s rape case, she does nothing in reaction to the rape but only depends on her boyfriend Jimmy to avenge her case.
In the novel, the element of the prejudice has received significant attention. In many instances, the action and behaviour of non-Aboriginals seems to despise the cultural practices of the first nation in North America (Howells, 2003). It is evident that the Euro-Canadians consider the Non-Whites as uncivilized and disregard them in all levels of governance. This is the scenario in education, job opportunities and social arena rivalry is so evident between the Aboriginals and Non-Aboriginals. The term monkey is associated with the concept of racism. Therefore, Monkey Beach as the name suggests highlights the prejudices against the first nations by the Whites. The concept of prejudice differs from racism in relation to their focus towards humanity interactions. Prejudice in the novel focus on the preconceived unfavourable feeling towards the blacks because of several factors such as gender, sex, status, class, and culture while racism focuses on the racial superiority.
Conclusion
The novel is an essential insight of various challenges and prejudices experience by Aboriginal communities and people in the face with modernity and their efforts to embrace modernity. However, symbolic and metaphoric, the novel documents critical evidence about natives struggles, experiences and fears. In this paper, when faced with realities and challenges of contemporary aboriginal like in Canada, Lisa draws on her traditions, spirituals gifts and family to come to grip with her family’s past and looks forward to the future. This is evident in circumstances such as the death of her Uncle, Grandma, and facing of the challenges in her life.
Reference
Agnes Kramer-Hamstra. (2009). Rumors of a Larger Story: The Intersection of Mystery and Mastery in Eden Robinson’s Monkey Beach. The Canadian Journal of Native Studies XXIX, 1&2(2009):111-125.
Government of Alberta. (2012). Our Words, Our Ways: Teaching First Nations, Métis and Inuit
Learners. Retrieved Oct 26, 2012, from Education: http://www.education.gov.ab.ca/k_12/curriculum/OurWords.asp
Robinson, E. (2011). Monkey Beach. Canada: Knopf Canada.
