Introduction
Can one ever truly escape the haunting memories of a traumatic past? Michelle Good’s novel, Five Little Indians follows five main characters as they attempt to answer this difficult question. Their experiences shed light on the challenging journey of healing from trauma and the coping mechanisms they use. The novel invites readers to explore the lives of these young adults as they try to find happiness after their painful childhood. Among other compelling characters, Kenny and Lucy stand out for their unique strategies for coping with their traumatic memories. Coping mechanisms are essential in developing the characters in Five Little Indians.
For example, Kenny’s separation from others can be described as detachment, and Lucy’s approach is to avoid bad memories and concentrate on her daughter. The story sheds light on a dark side of Canadian history, where Indigenous children were subjected to abuse and cultural erasure in these residential schools. This context is essential in understanding the characters’s emotional burdens. The coping mechanisms of Kenny and Lucy bring different results to the characters – Kenny’s isolation leads to self-destruction, while Lucy can create a peaceful life through motherhood.
Kenny’s Way to Cope with Memories
To begin, the story centers on Kenny, who copes with his childhood trauma by physically and emotionally withdrawing from other people. For example, even when he is entirely happy with his wife and daughter, he cannot make himself stay with them. The author writes, “It was not for lack of love, but something inside him that drove him, something he could never explain to Lucy, much less himself. A pressure that only eased up if he was on the move” (Good 192).
Kenny’s coping mechanism comes from his childhood experiences when he fled his home. This movement, in whatever circumstances he finds himself, follows Kenny, even if he lives a happy and peaceful life. Later, he becomes a skilled mechanic passionate about fixing broken objects. His difficulty in expressing himself and his obsession with small details protect him from the overwhelming impact of his past experiences.
In addition, Kenny’s physical and emotional detachment has a notable impact on Lucy. Kenny continues to separate himself from others in different situations, sometimes leaving them in trouble: “It was about two months after she’d last seen Kenny when the nausea had worsened and become overwhelming” (Good 115). While his coping method initially helps him continue to live and create a family, it ultimately isolates him from genuine human connections. Kenny’s self-destruction and his alcohol abuse led to his death. In conclusion, Kenny’s coping mechanism of emotional withdrawal is ineffective as it results in emotional isolation and substance use problems.
Lucy’s Approach to Cope with Past
Lucy copes with her traumatic past by avoiding negative memories. There are several situations in the novel when Lucy does not allow her thoughts to develop further and remind her of past events. For example, “she tried not to think of Maisie alone in a corner of the graveyard for the destitute and abandoned” (Good 90). Lucy struggles with accepting the death of her friend, and it is easier for her to avoid thoughts about what happened when she was younger. As a result, she chooses to ignore her memories of the residential school and other kids who faced horrible violence. Maisie’s death can be linked to the fates of all children, and the graveyard is the residential school itself, with all its loneliness, fears, and sorrows.
Therefore, Lucy avoids these memories, her coping mechanism, so she does not face negative thoughts but hides them deep inside. Secondly, Lucy also uses her affection for Kendra to cope with challenges and improve her life. When facing problems, rejection, or the need to give up on her priorities and principles, Lucy states, “I’ve got a baby to protect” (Good 122). Her whole life centers around her daughter, making it easier for Lucy to overcome difficulties. This coping mechanism can be considered effective and positive. Kendra helps her mother find inner strength and understand that she can improve their lives. Therefore, even when Kenny leaves them, Lucy can cope with this by focusing on her child.
Comparison of Coping Approaches
The coping mechanisms of Lucy and Kenny are based on their childhood experiences, and their effectiveness can be connected to the characters’ ability to find new goals. Firstly, Kenny’s isolation shields him from his bad memories, protecting him from immediate emotional pain. For example, he tells Lucy, “Sometimes I’m just no good with people. Just need to be by myself” (Good 100). This strategy helps him to build a life for some time, but it also destroys his mental health.
Loneliness does not make him feel suitable for an extended period. Kenny feels lost when he wants to be with his family, his wife and daughter, and improve their lives, but he also wishes to move, isolate himself, and be alone. This coping mechanism does not allow Kenny to develop self-love and is ineffective.
Secondly, Lucy’s inner escape resembles Kenny’s physical isolation. She prevents herself from remembering and processing all the struggles she went through, and this method helps her sometimes. However, Lucy is then exposed to her bad memories. She has them out of control: “She watched the usual goings-on outside her window but remained distracted and overwhelmed by the flood of memories she’d worked so hard to keep below the surface” (Good 96).
As Lucy refuses to remember the bad events, she cannot accept them and move on, which leads to this crisis. The second coping mechanism she uses is more effective. Her love and affection for Kendra allow her to overcome all difficulties and find inner peace. Therefore, Kenny’s isolation does not help him, while Lucy has some success in living a new life.
Conclusion
In summary, the characters created by Michelle Good demonstrate the challenges of dealing with painful memories from their time at the residential school. The coping mechanisms they select help them in different circumstances, preventing them from facing additional traumas. Kenny isolates himself from others and even his loved ones because he finds it impossible to always be around people.
On the other hand, Lucy escapes mentally by avoiding the bad memories and staying very close to her daughter. The coping mechanisms of these characters are different due to their unique experiences and choices. The novel highlights Indigenous people’s continuing resilience while shedding light on a tragic period in Canadian history. The characters of Lucy and Kenny give the audience insightful perceptions of how some people survive the terrifying parts of the past while others become their victims.
Work Cited
Good, Michelle. Five Little Indians. Harper Perennial, 2021.
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