For me, the game of basketball has always been a sanctuary. It's been a place where I've been able to escape and find peace,” said Michael Jordan. This sentiment resonates deeply with many athletes who turn to sports as an escape from the everyday hardships of life. In Richard Wagamese’s novel Indian Horse, the protagonist Saul’s journey mirrors this sentiment. Amidst a plethora of trauma, discrimination, and struggles to forge his identity, Saul discovers hockey as not just a game but a refuge. However, this refuge proves to be unsuccessful due to severe limitations. Saul’s journey demonstrates that sports can provide an immediate escape from reality. But they ultimately fail to offer lasting refuge from trauma, systematic racism in sports, and personal identity struggles. …show more content…
Saul is introduced to hockey at a dark time in his life while he is confined to the oppressive environment of the residential school. Stripped of his identity and subjected to relentless abuse, Saul discovers hockey and immediately falls in love with the game. His newfound passion for the game brings him solace from his bleak reality. Saul finds freedom and peace that contrasts deeply with his everyday experiences on the ice. As he states, “When I hit the ice I left all of that behind me. I stepped onto the ice, and Saul Indian Horse, the abandoned Ojibway kid, clutched in the frozen arms of his dead grandmother, ceased to exist.” (Wagamese 83) This quote illustrates how hockey provides Saul with a sanctuary, allowing him to forget his painful past and abusive present. However, this happiness is momentary. Despite the immediate relief hockey offers, the oppressive reality of Saul’s life continues to