Son of a Trickster

Wee’git functions as both an important character and a significant symbol in the novel. As a child, Jared endures the fear, anger, and distrust of his Granny Nita because she thinks Jared is a Trickster. Generally, “Tricksters” are supernatural figures that break rules, “frequently cross and challenge boundaries,” and meddle with humans’ “social harmony and order” to teach some sort of lesson (Robinson, Amanda. “Trickster.” The Canadian Encyclopedia, 5 Apr. 2018). For Indigenous peoples of the Northwest Coast, a key Trickster is the Raven, which can shapeshift and travel between the human and spirit realms. According to the Haida, “The Raven is the most greedy, mischievous and lecherous creature imaginable” (MacDonald, George F. “Haida—The People and the Land—Mythology and Crests.” Canadian Museum of History). The novel’s author, who is Haisla and Heiltsuk, explained in an interview with CBC Books that the Raven (also called “Wee’git”) teaches humans lessons by being the “the bad example, the example of what not to do” (Warren, Jennifer. “Why It Took Eden Robinson Eight Years to Write Canada Reads Finalist Son of a Trickster.” CBCnews, 18 Mar. 2020). 

The Raven is integral to the novel’s theme of tense family dynamics, as he is the main culprit in complicating relationships.