In Search of April Raintree by Beatrice Culleton

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April Raintree character analysis
April Raintree is the main protagonist in the book, In Search of April Raintree by Beatrice Mosionier. Throughout her childhood she was embarrassed to be Metis, and because of her taking after her mother’s Irish pale skin, being able to blend into white society she would hide her native ancestry.
Through her first foster parents, the Dions, were very kind to April, this continued to make April to feel accepted in society, and she would continue to hide her native heritage. She wanted to feel like a white kid, and they made her feel like one.
After Mrs. Dion became ill, April is placed with the DeRosiers. The DeRosiers where both physically and verbally abusive, to April and Cheryl. Through this April would continue to try to supress her native heritage as much as possible. The DeRosiers Children continue to harass April by starting rumors about her, and running her life in school, and was called “Gramma Squaw”. Mrs. DeRosiers would make the situation worse, by giving her clothing that were considered very ugly, and she wouldn’t let April alter them, by sewing thing on them. This continues Aprils need to become rich and important, and she says “if I became so rich and important, people wouldn’t care that I had a prod metis as a sister.” This quote shows how she does not consider herself a proud Metis, or even a Metis.
After April writes the Christmas Story, incorporating things in her life while living with the DeRosiers, she is transferred to St. Bernadette’s Academy. While at St. Bernadette she tells a very big lie. She tells all her friends that her parents had died in a plane crash, this shows how she is still looking down at her heritage.
Once April and Cheryl are free from being foster ...

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...fter she opens up to April, she leaves and never returns.
After April and Roger search desperately for Cheryl, they look for several weeks, and have no idea where she has gone. One night Cheryl’s friend Nancy calls April, and explains that she was leaving with her, but she had left suddenly and believes she is going to do something bad. April remembers that Cheryl told her how their mother committed suicide, by jumping off the Louis Bridge. When they arrive at the bridge a group of people say they saw a women jumped off and commit suicide about five minutes before they arrived.
April discovers what Cheryl has been going through in more depth when April goes through her journals. She discovers that she has a nephew named, Henry Liberty. For the first time, April does not look down at her Native lineage, it took the death of her sister for April to find her identity.

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