Analysis People of the Whale- Character-Thomas
In my understanding, Hagan’s pathway to healing is in attaining environmental justice. Hogan describes the trauma experienced by Native American individuals after being exposed to environmental injustice throughout her novels. These characters struggle against a hostile environment to find haling for themselves as well as their communities. In Mean Spirit, children are traumatized because they have been separated from their families, and they are exposed to a hostile environment in boarding schools. The adults are also traumatized by the fact that they don’t have any control over their children or property. The Native people are healed through their short acts of resistance as well as resilience which includes the starting of a future movement for environmental justice. In Solar Storms, Hogan highlights that resistant against the sources of trauma such as environmental injustice is a fundamental part of healing. She explains about the potential of indigenous resistance. Angel’s healing is union with her family while the community’s collective healing takes place when its members come together and plan to resist against the hydroelectric project known as BEEVCO to support interdependence of all species, ecological unity, as well as, the sacredness of Mother Earth. The members of the community also wanted to free from ecological destruction by defending their rights. In People of the Whale, Hagan narrates a story of veteran known as Thomas, who goes to the Vietnam War and he is traumatized by his experience in war. Thomas starts to feel the power to heal once he started diving into the ocean at night. While in the ocean, Thomas world begins to be with direct contact with nature. He completely heals after older people performed a ceremony for him. Thomas and his people heal after adopting new traditions that embrace the spirit of the ancestors but protects the whale. Therefore, the attainment of environmental justice is a feasible solution to personal and cultural trauma.
When the day comes for Thomas to leave Vietnam, he does not want to return home because his experience in Vietnam had changed him. He reflects of how he cheated on his wife, Ruth, with a Vietnam lady known as Ma. Thomas has already started a new family in Vietnam, and they were blessed with a baby girl called Lin. Thomas doesn’t want to leave Vietnam since Ma has died and her daughter has no one to leave with. He remembers his painful experience after he was captured by the army being separated by his daughter. He also recalls faces of shot men from war’s scenes. During the war, Thomas never fitted in with other veterans since they never cared about the brutal war violence and they disrespected the dead. Thomas returns to his tribe after knowing that his community were plotting to kill a whale. His wife, Ruth, took a stand against the council which were planning for the killing of the whale, which included Thomas’ old friends from the war. Ruth was trying to reveal that the whale was being killed for money. The whale hunt attracted the media, and seeing this, Thomas returned to his community to find himself. Since Thomas is suffering from posttraumatic stress, he is unable to express his feelings or face his old life. For him to resolve the conflict within him, he tries to reconnect with his tribe but finds A’atsika people have abandoned their traditions. He is unable to face the ocean and goes to isolation after his son, Marco, died during the whale hunt. Thomas decides to go to Washington, D.C to return his war medals, as a way of letting go of his past war life and becoming a pure being of his tribe. He also starts to dive in the ocean at night like his ancestors. This is where he began to be in direct contact with nature and felt its power to heal. Other Americans soldiers called him “Congs” since he was more in touch with nature.
Thomas finds complete healing and peace through the help of the tribe leaders who teach him about A’atsika traditions. He goes to live with the elders who perform ceremonies for him. With the help of cultural rituals, he begins again to hear the breath of the universe, seabirds, and the ocean. He is reincarnated as harmonious being when his spirit becomes one with the ocean after being shot by Dwight.
Upholding of social justice is a pathway to healing in our society. One of the best ways to attain environmental justice is by supporting social-equal conversation policies as well as institutions or organizations supporting them. We can help by creating environmental justice awareness in all platforms, including social media. We can also donate or involve ourselves with environmental programs such as Green For All and WE ACT, that addresses environmental injustice and its disproportionate effect on the society. Besides, we can also challenge violation and unjust environmental regulations in marginalized communities. If these recommendations are implemented, they can not only help in preventing and healing trauma but also in protecting the earth from being the risk of adverse destructions.
In People of the Whale, Hagan narrates a story of veteran known as Thomas, who goes to Vietnam War and he is traumatized by his experience in war.