Where The Blood Mixes Characters

Submitted By AudreyJT
Words: 894
Pages: 4

The middle and late 1900s was a tragic period for aboriginals in Canada. The Canadian government and churches created residential schools with an objective of converting the aboriginal children to Christianity and to make them forget their culture. It has changed and scarred many lives of these adolescents, especially the ones who have survived. In consequence, they were forced to leave their families and live in the schools, where they were emotionally and physically abused by the people who were suppose to be taking care of them. The short play Where The Blood Mixes written by Kevin Loring is a heart breaking story about an aboriginal man, Floyd, and his two friends, Mooch and June, who survived these schools, about their lives and situations in the present, and most importantly, the return of Floyd’s daughter Christine who had been taken away by the white people, or in their words “Shum’mas”. However, apart from being an important character in this story, Kevin .Loring had a purpose for Christine. Her coming back changes the lives of these three characters and she represents various things. There were three main ideas found throughout this reading in which Christine represents: a salmon, the memories of her mother Anna and finally, a second chance. To begin, the first time Christine appears in the play, there are salmons in the background as she talks about where she came from and her lost family. Why chose a salmon, specifically, to use as a metaphor in this story? A salmon is a well know fish found in lakes and rivers. What differentiates this fish from others is that even though they migrate out in the ocean, they find their way back to the fresh water, back to these rivers and lakes to reproduce. That is exactly why Christine represents a salmon; she’s finding her way back home to Floyd after being taken away when she was a child. Now grown up and living in the city with her foster parents, living a good life, she finds herself back, looking for where she acme from, and the family she never knew. “I waited my whole life for you to… I came looking for you. I FOUND YOU. And now I’m here.” (Loring, 82) Secondly, the first time the characters see Christine, they notice that she looks a lot like Anna. Memories that they have been keeping inside for a long time come back and bring them pain, guilt, sadness and, in someway, relief. The first person to talk about their feelings is June. She was Anna’s best friend. When Anna passed away, June lost the person she was ever close to. In addition, in present time, she’s making her and Mooch’s income because he can’t. She feels guilt because in her perspective, she should have been the one to take Christine in and raise her, instead of this child to be growing up with people who weren’t her family. It’s what Anna would have wanted. Also, Mooch is regretful for not stopping Anna from jumping off the bridge that tragic night. He witnessed Christine taking away her own life, with Anna in his arms. He lost someone who was like a sister to him and let go of the only piece of Anna left. Finally Floyd, Anna’s husband. He’s regretful, feeling pain and is in denial of talking about his wife. The cause for Anna’s suicide was depression and being of tired of dealing with a husband who