Dogsong

In this coming-of-age story, Russel shows determination even before he knows what exactly he is looking for in life. Russel could take the easy route and accept that changing from the traditional Inuit way of life is inevitable. Instead, Russel listens to his unsettled mind and seeks out answers, thinking, “there was something wrong with the way things were now, something wrong with him. He wanted to be more, somehow, but when he looked ahead he didn't see more, he saw only less” (22), and “less” is not acceptable to Russel. Russel shows mental determination in believing in his realization, fully accepting that he needs “to go back and become a song” (29). He displays remarkable mental and physical perseverance when confronted with the harsh environmental challenges on his journey, drawing on Oogruk’s Inuit teachings and raw determination to survive storms, hunger, isolation, being lost on floating ice, and ultimately a battle with a polar bear. In Russel’s determination to find and become his song, he overcomes fear, obstacles, and elements hard enough to kill most people: “The fear had come from the unknowing, from not acting, and now that he had made a decision to act the fear had gone.