Family Theme in The Marrow Thieves Essay Sample

The value of indigenous people bonds together a strong foundation of family, blood or not. At the beginning of the story, Frenchie loses his biological family but soon gets welcomed into another family, a family that was bonded together over traumatic experiences. They develop a deep relationship with each other, an unconditional kind of love, that has an inimitable indigenous connection. Families created by love other than blood, turn out to be the strongest warriors. In the Marrow Thieves, Dimaline expresses that the dangers of indigenous oppression form together family and universal love that bonds together throughout trama. Revealing, that Frenchie and his family are perceived as indigenous warriors surviving the chaos caused by the residential schools. Together, as a family, they go through many complications that slowly peel off their mask to reveal what emotions they have been concealing all along.  

“Eventually, I wouldn’t be alone, either. And maybe tomorrow I’d wake up and find myself closer to home.” (pg. 17). Escaping the capture and watching his brother, Mitch, get into the hands of the Recruiters, Frenchie reflects and realizes the loss of his family isn’t going to stop him from finding a second home. Feeling alone surrounded by the presents of his now lost family, being welcomed into another home would bring out the warrior that has been hiding within. To exemplify family, Frenchie and his newly formed family were expressing some wise words to inspire greater hunting and survival. “We’ve survived this before. We will survive it again.” (pg. 33). Throughout the fight for survival, Frenchie and his family identify that family is forever. They bonded with trama, they will not end with trama. After losing their own, family doesn’t get left behind, no matter the circumstance. 

Approaching the end of the novel, Frenchie and his family go through a breaking point. Going through developmental stages within themselves, unexpected behaviors are revealed. To navigate to the beginning of the story, Miig amplifies, “No one should be sacrificed for anyone else.” (pg. 58). While they were breaking into the Four Winds resort, they had to consider the lives they were surrounded by. No one should be sacrificed even if it comes to the choice of life or death, until the choice was made in the hands of Minerva. “Sometimes you risk everything for a life worth living even if you’re not the one that’ll be alive to see it.” (pg. 152). Minerva getting captured by the Recruiters reconfigured their way of thinking of family. Minerva did what was necessary for survival, although it involved the sacrifice of herself. Leading her family behind with inspiration and disbelief, their family was more powerful than before with the trails of the recruiters and the strength from Minerva leading to, in the end, a strong foundation of family.