Reading Response

My Name is Not Easy by Debby Dahl Edwardson illustrates the story of three young Eskimos sent off to a boarding school called Sacred Heart—a brand new world where change, loss and heartbreak await them. This book delves into survival and into the depths of relationships and the love, hatred or connection two people can have within each other. The book deals with a lot of character change. The issue that was most profound in this book was family struggle and people change because of this. Luke faces a huge struggle facing the cracks and losses in his family that Luke, which he undergoes from the instant the brothers arrive at Sacred Heart. First, Luke and Bunna lose Isaac within minutes of their arrival. In addition, towards the end of the book, Luke has to deal with a big, deep argument and disagreement with Bunna and soon after his spontaneous death. He changes to a more cynical and hardened person.

            The author introduces character change in a very interesting and aware way. She first presents cracks in Luke’s family. Him and his Eskimo brothers have to leave their family and fly off to a boarding school. Shortly after, she introduces the second major crack in his family, which is Luke and Bunna’s loss of Isaac, because a priest says he is too young to attend. She included the voice of a member of the schools staff, telling the reader Isaacs’ life in a village house; while things were sorted out would be temporary situation. Dahl nevertheless showed us Luke’s heartbroken state after this happens. For example, we glimpse Luke’s thought that “they are taking Isaac away”. She knew Luke’s following thought “they are taking Isaac away” would show how much his brothers are to him and what they mean to each other for survival. He begins to doubt people and the whole situation more.

            The issue affected and changed the main character, because when Luke is separated from his brother he feels deprived of the only thing he has at Sacred Heart: family. Now Bunna is the only person left for him. Family struggle and loss makes Luke a lonely person. He feels more isolated from his previous life and world. His world is now harder and colder than ever. At the end, Luke is different because he has more connections with people at his school and considers them almost family. Family loss has also affected and changed Luke, because he feels differently about himself/his culture. For example, he refers to his real name as “hard like ocean ice grinding at the shore.” He explains this is the way his real name is when teachers try to pronounce it. He changes a lot in this book-from sad to lonely and towards the end-more open. Relieved of some pressure family struggle has given him.