Magic and the Supernatural - Lancaster University

58
Coming-of-Age among Sasquatches and Tree Spirits
__________________________________________________________________
distress after having heard that Jimmy, their brother and son, is lost at sea. As
Lisamarie drifts into a daydream due to her emotional and physical exhaustion, she
recalls essential encounters with relatives, friends, spirits, and ghosts. Throughout
the novel, the young woman’s memories intermingle with the present and future
while her mind and body oscillate between the natural and supernatural worlds.
This spiritual aspect weaves itself as a thread through Robinson’s novel, and
the author thus emphasizes that ‘the supernatural and the fantastic constitute
another dimension of reality not separable from everyday experience.’ 1 Lisamarie,
however, does not only have to face spiritual but also cultural challenges. The dual
influence of Haisla and Euro-Canadian values, traditions, and ways of life triggers
a crisis of identity with which the girl attempts to cope. Lisamarie’s quest to find
herself is inevitably linked to these cultural dimensions, and the supernatural
features in her search for identity as a multi-layered representation of reality. The
prominent theme of the novel is thus the coming-of-age narrative and the young
woman faces numerous challenges which she often, though not solely, overcomes
with the help of her spiritual guides.
2. Ma-ma-oo
Lisamarie regularly witnesses supernatural phenomena: she sees ghosts and
perceives other mystical creatures in her surroundings, simultaneously
experiencing fear as well as a fascinating feeling of attraction. The protagonist’s
parents reject their daughter’s gift as a mental disease, and Ma-ma-oo, her
grandmother, is thus a central figure in Lisamarie’s life as she provides direction to
the young girl when she does not know how to cope with her supernatural
experiences. It is essential to Lisamarie’s spiritual, emotional, and psychological
development to be instructed by female figures such as Ma-ma-oo, since the strong
matriarchal leadership will aid her in accepting her Haisla ancestry. 2 She perceives
her grandmother as a powerful figure with great stamina and acknowledges her as
a role model with regard to her Haisla heritage.
When Lisamarie timidly confesses at a very young age to her wise relative that
she has encountered spirits, the old woman finds her own assumptions confirmed
as she had suspected Lisamarie to possess this valued ability. She attempts to
explain the privileges and responsibilities which this supernatural gift entails to her
apprehensive granddaughter. By fostering Lisamarie’s spiritual development, Mama-oo
intends to demonstrate to the young protagonist that the ability to talk with
ghosts ‘amounts to a transgenerational affirmation of an inheritance, thus involving
a call to responsibility.’ 3 The discovery of Lisamarie’s aboriginal heritage and
Haisla roots is therefore strongly connected to spirituality and supernatural
phenomena. Ma-ma-oo admits to the role of guidance with respect to supernatural
creatures, but adds a note of caution, ‘Never trust the spirit world too much.’ 4
Generally, interacting and conferring with supernatural creatures can be an utterly
frustrating experience as the protagonist struggles to interpret and decode the