Themes
Last Updated September 25, 2024.
Appearances and Reality
In The Rez Sisters, seven women travel from their Indian reserve to
Toronto to take part in "THE BIGGEST BINGO IN THE WORLD." Each woman has her
own aspirations for what winning the bingo jackpot will grant them. Annie
dreams of having enough money to "buy every single one of Patsy Cline's
records" and "go to all the taverns and night clubs in Toronto and listen to
the live music." Philomena wishes for a new toilet that is "big and wide and
very white." Marie-Adele desires "the most beautiful incredible goddamn island
in the whole goddamn world." Veronique wants "the biggest stove on the
reserve." Lastly, Pelajia hopes to build "a nice paved road" in front of her
house, frustrated that the "old chief" has done nothing to help her achieve
this goal. Each woman's dreams of wealth are tied to their hopes of making life
at Wasy more bearable—or, in Marie-Adele's case, escaping "the rez"
entirely.
However, when the women arrive in Toronto, fortune does not smile upon them. Despite Philomena playing with twenty-seven cards, she only wins $600, and the others return empty-handed after angrily confronting the bingo machine. (Marie-Adele does not return at all as she dies during the bingo game.) Instead of lamenting their misfortune, the "rez sisters" come to realize that their dreams cannot be fulfilled by luck alone and that they need to focus on changes they can achieve themselves. At Marie-Adele's funeral, Pelajia remarks:
Well, sister, guess you finally hit the big jackpot. Best bingo game we've ever been to in our lives, huh? You know, life's like that, I figure. When all is said and done, kinda silly, this business of living? But what choice do we have? When some fool of a being goes and puts us Indians plunk down in the middle of this old earth, dishes out this lot we got right now. But, I figure we gotta make the most of it while we're here. You certainly did. And I sure as hell am giving it one good try. For you. For me. For all of us. Promise. Really.
The remaining women learn to work towards improving their lives on "the rez." Veronique takes care of Marie-Adele's children, Annie vows to practice her singing to become a star, and Pelajia accepts her role on her roof, hammering away for a better future. As Philomena tells Pelajia early in the play, “This place is too much in your blood. You can't get rid of it. And it can't get rid of you." The literal and metaphorical journey in The Rez Sisters represents the women coming to grasp the significance of these words. Perhaps the clearest indicator that the sisters are heading in the right direction is the final appearance of Nanabush as Pelajia works on her roof; he "dances to the beat of the hammer, merrily and triumphantly."
Friendship
In her essay on The Rez Sisters featured in Books in Canada,
Carol Bolt notes that audiences feel as though they "have been a part of an
extraordinary, exuberant, life-affirming family" when watching the play. This
reaction stems from Highway's creation of characters that embody the values of
friendship and a tight-knit community. The women, who are either sisters,
half-sisters, or sisters-in-law, have known each other for a long time.
Throughout the play, they interact in a relaxed, familiar way, sharing jokes
and gossip. Even those who claim to dislike each other, like Annie and
Veronique, still communicate, understanding that cutting ties would be
more detrimental than tolerating each other's quirks.
When verbal conflicts...
(This entire section contains 924 words.)
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arise, the women hurl the harshest insults they can think of: Philomena calls Annie a "slime"; Emily labels Annie a “slippery little slut''; Veronique brands Annie a "sick pervert"; Pelajia accuses Marie-Adele of being "a spoiled brat"; Marie-Adele tells Veronique she is like "some kind of insect, sticking insect claws into everybody's business"; and Annie ridicules Pelajia for thinking she is "Queen of the Indians." However, despite these harsh exchanges, the next day they are united in their effort to raise money for their trip to Toronto. During their journey, they share their deepest fears and offer emotional support to each other. Despite their gossip and frequent arguments, Highway's characters inherently understand that they rely on one another for stability and support.
Supernatural
Observing the play's events is Nanabush, the "trickster" who plays a
significant role in many Native mythologies and cultures. "We have a mythology
that is thousands and thousands of years old," Highway explained to Hartmut
Lutz in Contemporary Challenges: Conversations with Canadian Native
Authors. Highway described the trickster to the Globe and Mail's
Conlogue as "central to our system of spiritual belief. It's a connection to
this great energy, or God, which most people only perceive in moments of
extreme crisis or when they are close to death and can see into the spirit
world." In The Rez Sisters, only Marie-Adele and Zhaboonigan can
recognize Nanabush in his various forms, implying that Marie-Adele is "close to
death" and that Zhaboonigan, despite her mental handicap, is more attuned and
open to the spirit world than the other women. On her way to Toronto,
Marie-Adele encounters Nanabush, who warns her about her impending death;
however, her transition into the spirit world (in the arms of the Bingo Master)
is depicted as a breathtaking journey. By featuring Nanabush onstage for most
of the play, Highway suggests that while the Trickster might be fading from
contemporary Native memories, he remains very much a part of their daily
lives.