Although many scenes in this novel are important to understanding the plot, I think when April's social worker talks to April and Cheryl about native girl syndrome is one of the most important. These girls had no idea what most of the words this woman was saying, but inevitably they were to grow into whatever she said, just because it "happens" to every native girl. I think that this scene is a key understanding to the rest of the novel because it really showed how little faith these people had in them. The only discrimination these girls knew of before they were taken away was what April noticed at the park when she took Cheryl. All the stereotypes that they learned were through the foster care system. There were so few people who believed them and were willing to help them that it became hard to avoid the "syndrome". It really showed how few people believed in these girls and how hard they had to work to prove everyone wrong.

For me, the most important scene in The Search for April Raintree is the rape scene. This is because the scene shatters Cheryl’s confidence and significantly alters her views towards others. Up until this scene the only time we have seen April violently angry is when Cheryl is nearly killed by the DeRosier bull. But in the months following the rape, April’s whole being is consumed with hatred and the urge to kill the men who had brutalized her. These feelings strongly contrast with her past demeanor which was mostly positive and willing to work things out. It showcases to April a darker side of society that is rooted in force and injustice. Aside from this the scene forces April to acknowledge her Metis background. One of April’s prominent thoughts leading up to the rape is how the men were able to identify her as a “squaw”. This distresses her because she has spent the majority of her life up until this time trying to assimilate into white culture and denying her origins. The scene forces her to take a hard look at who she is and what it means. If one is to look further into the novel, it is because of the rape that it is unveiled to April that her sister was a prostitute. Had it not been for the rape and subsequent trial, April may have never known. This could potentially have altered the outcome of the novel because the revealing of this secret helps push Cheryl into her downward spiral. These are some of the main reasons why I feel that the rape scene is the most important scene in the novel.

I would have to say the single most important scene in The Search for April Raintree is when the girls` parents are forced to give their children away to the state's foster care program. Because the girls are then forced to live in several different homes the reader is able to witness how other characters in the book view and treat the sisters because of their Indian heritage. Starting with the cruelty of the DeRosier family and then the disapproval of Barbara Radcliff the displacement of the native sisters into white society illuminates the prejudices against them at the time. Considering the story focuses on the hardships faced by natives, this scene is crucial in insuring the reader sees the negative perspectives of non-Indian characters. Had the girls stayed with their family it may be presumed that they would have spent most of their lives in the company of other natives and thus the reader would have never seen such contrasting viewpoints.

Including the foster care system into the story accomplishes more than simply displaying prejudices however. The scene where the sisters are taken away from their family shows the disheartening grasp alcohol really does have over several Native Americans. The poverty of many reservations and the sad realities associated with the disease of alcoholism are vividly captured in this scene. When the children come home to see their dead baby sister passed off to the authorities and their parents crying tears of whiskey the reader certainly begins to feel for themselves the harsh effects of reservation life.

Lastly I found it interesting that through the use of the foster home Mosionier was able to turn around several of the stereotypes associated with Indians. In the DeRosier household the 'stupid Indians' were the only children who received good grades. Furthermore they were respectful, responsible, and kind. The DeRosiers, who were self proclaimed white royalty, were in fact cruel and hated characters. This contrast in personalities goes to show the unimportance of race as a factor in personal demeanors and dispositions. Unfortunately it is often society's inability to cope with racial differences that prevent great kids like young April and Cheryl from having a fighting chance at success within the white man's world.

I believe there are several key scenes in this novel that are central to understanding everything. I suppose the first scene that stands out for me is at the very beginning when the social workers come to take April and Cheryl away. Although there is nothing too terribly deep and profound here (though it is sad) I believe that this is key because this is where the first sense of separation comes into their lives. It takes years for April and Cheryl to truly separate from each other but this scene is where the very first experience comes into play. April and Cheryl have each other but as the story progresses they begin to fade apart as their parents did. So, to sum it all up I believe this is a key scene because it is the very first form of separation they experience. This scene subtly sets the rest of the novel for us because we would think that April and Cheryl would stick together for the rest of their lives. However; emotional, mental and physical separation between the two really starts to have a key role.

It's hard to pick out a scene that seems to be the most important, because as we discussed in class, the book is not based on beautiful writing and deeper thinking, but rather, the physical turn of events throughout April's life until she is 24. As we all know by now, a ridiculous amount of turmoil occurs in April and Cheryl's young lives, so it is hard to pick out just one scene as there are so many significant ones.

I think April's time at the DeRosiers' was significant because it began the inevitability of her and Cheryl heading down different paths. Although Cheryl spends time at the DeRosiers' also, her time before and after living there set in motion the dichotomy between her and her sister's ways of thinking, experiences, desires for the future, and acceptance of heritage.

Another "scene" that I particularly thought was very significant was when April marries Bob. Although April talks about the event very nonchalantly and without very much detail, it ends up being the thing that maybe helps April realize that her priorities are mixed up. She thinks all she wants is to become part of white society, and to have a lot of money. She gets all that when she marries Bob but she realizes that she still doesn't feel fulfilled and I think a part of her is subconsciously guilty for wanting to break away from Cheryl, the only remaining Native element in her life. WHen she leaves Bob, however, it is questionable whether her priorities really changed or not.

Lastly, I think another important scene is when Cheryl drunkenly confesses about finding their father, stopping her work at the centre, and how she started drinking. This scene is a sad one because it suddenly unravels everything that went wrong. Cheryl was ambitious and had a good head on her shoulders. We have no idea how she gets a drinking problem and how all her hopes begin to deteriorate. This monologue of Cheryl's provides a lot of answers, albeit really heartbreaking ones.

The most important scene in “In Search of April Raintree”, was in the first part of the novel on page 17. April and her younger sister Cheryl, are on there way back from the park to find two social workers at their house. At first, she doesn’t know what is going on and what is going to happen to her, but when see finds out she and her sister have to leave, she refuses. April only goes when her mother makes her leave with them. I thought that April reaction to the situation was normal; not wanting to leave her home and the reason being because her parents are sick and the medicine not making them better, but her not knowing at her age of only six that the medicine(alcohol) is what makes her parents sick. The mother’s reaction however was not at all normal. The mother didn’t even fight to keep her girls and even encouraged April to go with them. This is the most significant key scene that sets up the rest of the novel, because it comes so early in the novel. It really starts to tell the story of their childhood and why life was so rough for April and for Cheryl who ends up committing suicide toward the end of the novel.

In order to discuss a scene that is most important to an understanding of this novel, I think it is first necessary that we identify what this story is about. What are we to understand by reading In Search of April Raintree? And then, having answered that question, we can begin to address the scenes that illuminate our understanding.

From the moment we learn that April is our narrator, it is easy enough to put that together with the title and know that this is a story of a search for identity. More specifically, this is a story (much like the others we have read) of a character coming to terms with/ understanding/ accepting a specific identiy tied to Native heritage. When I think of the most important moments in April's understanding of her own heritage, I always return to the moment when she and Cheryl, attending April's first Pow Wow on the Roseau Reservation, are sitting in their tent. April listenes to Cheryl's 'essay,' which was too controversial to be published in the school paper, and she reacts in much the same way as she always has; she questions Cheryl's placing so much blame on White men and wonders if Native's are at least somewhat responsible for their own plight. However, she notes, "sitting there in our tent, surrounded by proud Indians, everything seemed different" (168). This is the first time that April seems to feel connected to her heritage in a meaningful and productive (positive) way. At the start of the next chapter, she says "I tried to keep that feeling I had alive," referring to the connectedness she had experienced (172).

There are, of course, many scenes that push April toward a better relationship with her identy, but it is in this instance that she first seems to actually enjoy it. She isn't ashamed of who she is and I think this sets up her later ability to find acceptance, and ultimately pride, in being Native.

The way that 'In Search of April Raintree' was written, each scene is just as important as the next and the book would not be the same if even one was missing. However I do admit that certain scenes leave a stronger effect on the themes of the novel and in the mind of the reader. I think that the scene near the beginning of the book when April and Cheryl go to the park and April first expresses her issues with the darker-skinned Indians than herself and her desire to be one of the white children. This is the first we see of her racism as well as refusal to accept or acknowledge she really is.

I also think that there is another very important scene to the novel. At the end of the book when April discovers Cheryl's journals, everything comes to light and both the reader and April are able to understand what was going through Cheryl's mind at a time when no one really knew what she was thinking. April finds out, after years and years of protecting her sister from the knowledge of who their parents really were, her sister had in fact discovered first hand and had then tried to protect April from. As the reader, you see their ties as sisters cement themselves a final time as April welcomes everything her sister was and says goodbye to her at the same time.

I think the most important scene in the novel occurs during the trial and immediately there after. “I kept thinking of the look she had given me that afternoon. The look I had so coldly turned away from. As if I had judged her guilty. Still, she was my sister, my flesh and blood, and when she returned, I would tell her everything was okay. It really wouldn’t be okay, but I decided I would try my best to forgive and forget” (167-168). It is in a way a culmination of April’s feelings towards Cheryl. April finds out Cheryl has been prostituting her self and like many other instances in the book she takes it as an offense against her. Accept this time we really see Aprils lack of understanding and caring for Cheryl. Throughout their history April has tried to hide the fact that she is Indian, been ashamed that she has a sister that looks Indian and is proud of it, and generally fails to live up to her promises of always being there for her. The focus has always been what April wants and needs and even in this most dire of moments she only can forgive the injustice that Cheryl has inflicted upon her, rather than notice that her sister really needs her help. I think that at this stage it is real part of the downward spiral and eventual suicide at the end of the novel. Because throughout the book we get the feeling that if only April actually looked after and cared for her sister things might have turned out different.

Throughout the book many of the problems First Nations people endured were brought into perspective, especially the scene in where April is raped, but the most critical scene in terms of the narrative and the impact is the ending scene where so much is revealed to April through Cheryl’s journals. The most obvious thing this scene accomplishes is it initiates closure for April as to why Cheryl committed suicide. Contained within this scene is the letter that Cheryl wrote for April to find, which I would argue, is one of the most crucial points in the text, aside from the last paragraph where April reaffirms her belief in her First Nations heritage. The letter is so critical because it is inspires April and charges her to succeed not only emotionally, but culturally as well, which is one of the larger messages this book seeks to convey.

The last paragraph of the book reintroduces some of the themes we’ve discussed this semester, especially the theme of rebirth. Cheryl’s son, Henry Liberty, represents two separate liberations: the first being Cheryl’s; the second being April’s. Cheryl’s liberation was death, whereas April’s liberation centers on Cheryl’s death and Henry Liberty. I don’t feel that Cheryl’s son being named Henry Liberty is any coincidence either. The theme of liberation runs concurrently with rebirth in the last paragraph, especially the lines: “But no, Cheryl had once said, ‘All life dies to give new life.’ Cheryl had died. But for Henry Lee and me, there would be a tomorrow. And it would be better. I would strive for it. For my sister and her son. For my parents. For my people” (207). In this closing paragraph, April undergoes a cultural rebirth similar to that of Jeremiah and Gabriel in Kiss of the Fur Queen. Only after Cheryl’s death is April able to reaffirm her First Nations heritage.

I think the most important part of the novel, "In Search of April Raintree", is when Cheryl meets her father for the first time. She is told by April that their parents were just sick and couldn't take care of them anymore and then couldn't even visit them anymore. April didn't want Cheryl to suffer knowing the truth about her parents and that they suffered the stereotypical view of natives that white people held of them; especially since Cheryl and April wanted either nothing to do with the scene or to help it. Cheryl is terrified of her father and what he had become. He was exactly what she tried to help people avoid or overcome. I think from there Cheryl takes a downward spiral. She takes that first beer and sits down with the people like her father and then begins to hang out with the wrong people which leads to prostitution and alcoholism. Along with this she distrusts her sister because she lied to her about their parents and almost hates April because she left her and because April was ashamed of her heritage and background. These family splits and distrust along with disgust lead Cheryl to suicide and I think April gains a rebirth like we said in class. I think this is a turning point for her too because she can now let go of April even though April will always be with her because of Henry Lee. Also, April can now open up to not only her boyfriend but the baby and to a new life. With death comes new life.

The most pivotal scene in this book is Cheryl's confession to April about the lies she has been telling April for so long. It is in this scene that she confesses to finding their father, and explains why she couldn't go on any longer attending to University. For some time before this we are well aware that something is wrong, and we cant quite, and here she lays it all out on the table. We can see that finding her father has shattered Cheryl to the point that she has given up on life, and the effect that this has on April is remarkable. April can finally see what damage she has done in trying to protect Cheryl, that in the end she couldn't protect her especially when she has been dishonest with her for so long. We also find out that Cheryl has been more perceptive of Aprils feelings then April suspects, Cheryl has known full well all along that April is ashamed of who they are, and we can only surmise that Aprils shame is part of the reason that Cheryl drinks. If Cheryl could not be accepted by her own sister, and her father was an abusive and manipulative man, then what did she have. Emotionally void we can see what drove her over the edge, and in a way how can we blame her? The action that Cheryl took ultimately prompted April to see her own actions magnified, and required her to take responsibility, especially after learning of Cheryl's child. It was then made it Aprils duty to teach Cheryl's son about his past, a past that now made April proud, and a present that she could change

I think the most important scene revolves around the events following April being raped. After she was raped, during the court case, her "boyfriend" finds out the truth about what happened to April. They were in her house and she told him that she was no good anymore. What Roger said to April is a crucial event in the novel. Roger told her that she needed to let go of the pain and suffering and move on.

I think was Roger says is important because I think it is an important message in the novel. The two sisters needed to let go of the pain and suffering that they experienced, even that the Indian people experienced, and move on. The girls, and the indian people as a society can not grow into the future if they do not let go of the suffering of their past. I am not saying forget the past; the past is what shapes how a person grows into the future. But April must let go of the rape incident. There is nothing that she can do about it, justice is being served to the men who raped her. But April must move on with her life and focus on the future.

Although there are many great and important scenes within the novel "In Search of April Raintree" the most important scene in the book has to be the one in the beginning when April and Cheryl find the Social worker at their house and they get put into the foster care program. This scene sets everything else in the book up. Had they stayed with their alcoholic parents who knows what would have happened and they way they would have grown up. Taking the children away from their parents put April and Cheryl into the white world and made them experience all the hardships of growing up different. The devious nature of the way Mrs. Grey acts when taking them away is the tone set for the rest of the book and the way these children would be treated throughout childhood. She talks with a soft gentle tone but there is a huge underbelly almost as if she knows the hardships these children are going to go through.

I found that April's experiences with the DeRosiers to be indicative of universial attitudes towards Native and Métis people. Therefor, I think that the most important scene in this book is the bull scene, in which the DeRosier children put Cheryl in danger. I feel that this scene is very important because not only does it play a key role in April's character development, but it also makes a statement about how the integrity of the Native and Métis people is often undermined by racism. April defends her system by attacking Maggie. Violence is never condonable, but April was no more out of hand than anyone in her situation would be. Despite the fact that Mr. DeRosier was a witness to the reality of the situation, the event ultimately lead to Cheryl being separated from April. This highlights the failure of the foster system to protect its charges from injustice. In the DeRosier home, the girls were always considered guilty from the get go. This kind of abuse proves to be a constant throughout the novel, and the bull scene is a pinnacle example.

For me, the most important scene in the novel was when Cheryl finally, in her drunken state, explains to April why everything between them has changed, and expresses her disgust in the way April looks at life. For about two years leading up to this scene we see a drastic change in Cheryl as well as in the relationship between April and Cheryl, but we are not given a reason. Once the wall between them comes crashing down, so does April's whole perception of life. Everything she ever believed in has been shot down, and then when she tries to see things from Cheryl's point of view, that too is destroyed. As much as April tried to disguise her heritage, she was eventually found out. No matter how smart Cheryl was and how much she succeeded in school, her dreams were never reached because she gave up. It seems to April that everything they both worked for is pointless; the reader can't help but think back to the description of Native Girl Syndrome. It is interesting to think that even when they both tried to assimilate to the two different archetypes society had laid out for them (disguising their heritage or simply becoming what society expected Native American girls to grow up to be) they both failed to accomplish anything by it.

Initially, I had a really difficult time getting past the writing style of this novel; it didn't live up to my expectations of what a novel of substance (so to speak--something worthy of study, anyway) should be in terms of style, and then I began to question my authority in having those expactations. It was only once I began to become involved in the substance--in the story itself--that it became easy to set aside my hangups about the prose and to take in and think about what is going on in the book. I wound up incredibly moved by this story, and after reflecting on it I was inspired to write a piece for another class.

There are several different scenes that one could argue are important or even crucial to the story, but what struck me early on and what I began looking for thereafter were scenes that represented hope in April's life. (I'm sure there is a track to follow here with Cheryl, but events in her life are not so clear chronologically, and we don't actually move through the story with her in the same way.) I went through the book and found even more of these hopeful scenes than I remembered just in her childhood:

-April's positive memories of her parents (Christmas, her mother cleaning and happy while sober)
-the fact that April's first foster family is loving and supportive
-April feels happy and proud that her advice to Cheryl when she breaks her foster parents' radio is helpful
-April befriends Jennifer (who eventually posts letters for her and shares her clothing with April)
-Cheryl moves to the DeRosiers and lessens April's pain, and April learns from her sister how to assert herself
-Mr. DeRosier stands up for the sisters to his wife and children about the incident with the bull
-Home Ec. teacher transfers April to sewing class so that she can alter clothes that elicit teasing from other children
-April enjoys the attention of Peter, to Maggie's dismay, albeit briefly
-the teacher and guidance counsellor finally believe April's situation after reading her story
-April's case is given to Mr. Wendell, a much more competent social worker
-April is able to live with Cheryl until she goes to a boarding school, which she generally enjoys.

I think even April's marriage to Bob is a hopeful part of the story because it enables her character to discover not only that money doesn't mean fulfillment, but that her hopes--even those made in ignorance (to meet a "Prince Charming"), are not necessarily out of her reach. Even Cheryl's baby is a kind of symbol of hope; April will have, and seems eager to embrace, the opportunity to do for her nephew what she could not do for her sister. And a part of Cheryl, who demonstrated such intelligence and optimism, can perhaps come to embody those same qualities and affect the kind of change Cheryl had imagined taking place for her community and people. To use a tired but very relevant cliche, "life is full of ups and downs," and the author's inclusion of many ups of varying degree in a story that is so much about the downs is a testament to her ability to a create a story routed in reality.

I thought the scene when Cheryl recites the speech she wrote in college was significant. I think on one level, we see a Cheryl who is still very intelligent, and who asserts her pride in her culture. At this point in the novel, Cheryl iss on a downward spiral, but there is hope that she may be able to get back on track.
I think one of the major themes of her speech is the betrayal the Indians felt by the white settlers. To a certain extent, the Metis were a selfless people who showed the white settlers how to "survive in our homelands". And yet, "Instead of repaying us with gratitude, you, White Man, turned on us, your friends." I think here we see that there could have been harmony between the two groups, and it's surprising that the indigenous people might have considered these invaders to be their freinds. Although there is a lot of resentment on Cheryl's behalf, I don't think it is unwarrented. Again, you can see April defending white culture when she tells Cheryl, "I think you put too much blame on white men for everything." I think this speech defines both Cheryl and April, and how their feelings differ when it comes to their heritage.

Although I felt that In Search of April Raintree had many integral scenes because of its plot driven story, the scene that I found most important was the one prior to April’s discovery of her husband Bob’s affair with Heather. This scene stood out for me because it highlighted the way in which racial ideologies work to define an individual’s class identity. Because of the impact of racial and class prejudices, April is negatively viewed and rejected whereas her white counterpart Heather is accepted despite her lack of redeeming qualities. Mother Radcliff, an upper-class, white woman, uses April’s racial and class difference to explain to Heather why Bob must leave April: “And I would simply dread being grandmother to a bunch of little half-breeds” (116). Here Mother Radcliff acknowledges that what she “dreads” most is how April’s race and class stand in opposition to her own. Her determination to rid herself of this “dread” leads her to decide to “give [April] a nice large settlement” in order to remove her without incident. In hatching this plot, Mother Radcliff does not even consider whether or not Bob and April actually love one another. At the same time, Mother Radcliff fails to recognize the disgrace associated with the affair suggesting that April’s race and class are more disgraceful to her own position than some association with her son’s infidelity. Mother Radcliff makes this most apparent when she formally approves Heather’s character disregarding her previous negative opinion of the girl as well as Heather’s new status as an adulteress. By suggesting that April can be bought and sold, Mother Radcliff further indicates April’s inferiority by reducing her to an object and suggesting that April does not and cannot belong amongst upper-class society because of her race. Although Mother Radcliff’s views are racist and incorrect, she presents an overarching ideological connection between racial identity and class identity, suggesting that April’s First Nation status makes her a member of the lower class. In the end Mother Radcliff’s plan plays itself out exactly as she intended, but not before suggesting to us readers that the connection between race and class exists.

i feel that the scene where April sees her father outside the window of the orphanage is the most important scene in the novel, because without this we would just think that her parents are drunk natives that do not care about their children. i know in class i said the opposite of this of their parents but i gave it some more thought and realized that people be it in a novel can change just as people can change in real life. after that April is able to see that her parents do in fact miss her and her sister. this sparks her interest in finding them later in life only to be let down again because of alcohol...

this set the tone for the book, the book was about hope and finding what is really what you want, in my eyes. both sisters eventually found what they wanted granted Cheryl took her life in the end. hope is the thought that i think made the child like writing style work for me. adults dont have hope in their lives like children do. and April throughout her life always kept the same hope in her heart as the day she saw her father outside the orphanage.

Personally, I think the most important scene in the book is when April's marriage ends with Bob. I feel that this scene is especially important because it showed April that despite everything she could do to try and be white and not let anyone or anything get in the way fo her Metis heritage, her Metis heritage was always going to be there. This was especially evident to her when she hears Bob's mother talking to Heather and about how she couldn't believe her son married and Indian only to get back at her. It seemed that April used Bob and his family to try and escape from her Indian background, but the end of her marriage was a reminder that no matter how much she tried to run and hide from it, it would always be there.

Also, I felt that the end of her marriage only brought her and Cherly back together, and ultimately gave April a new start. Also, during the time after her marriage ended, it seemed she only gained a greater understanding of herself and the changed and challenges she was facing as a person and someone of Metis background.

I found April's character development very interesting in this book. April started out as such a strong character; she stood up to the Child Services director when they were trying to take her from her parents, she took care of Cheryl at a very young age (getting her dressed and taking her to the park in the mornings when the adults were all too hungover to care for them). Also, she tried to get around the nuns and she stood up to the DeRosiers on multiple different occasions. But later she becomes completely submissive and let's people walk all over her. She lets her husband and her mother-in-law treat her like she's an embarrassment to their family and she's nothing better than a housewife. Then she even lets Cheryl insult her endlessly and still doesn't even say anything.

I think the most important scene in this book was when April tells Cheryl that she's going to marry Bob. It sums up and brings to the surface all of the tension between the two sisters and why that rift exists. It forces April to admit that she's ashamed of being Metis and also that she's ashamed of her sister because she doesn't want to be associated with her. Cheryl also sees that she truly cannot help April see through the superficial life she's about to enter. Cheryl had been trying for years to teach April about her heritage and to make her proud of it, and at this point Cheryl realizes that she has failed and she loses all hope in her sister. This point I believe is where Cheryl's downturn begins, and ultimately is what makes her commit suicide. It's also the point where April turns into her submissive self and just allows her life to be taken out of her control.

I think that it would be very difficult to choose the most important scene out of this novel. I think the most important part of the novel is something more complex than just one scene. We've seen many of the characters we've read about abandon their native roots and attempt assimilation into white culture, many of the books we've read have illustrated this fight between worlds. However, In Search of April Raintree, in my opinion, is the most difficult and powerful example of this battle between worlds. Therefore, there are many scenes in this novel that work together to develop April into a person who not only denies her native heritage in favor of white culture, but destests her native heritage. Her detestation began early in her life. She learned to hate native people for being dirty and alcoholics from her foster parents. She further degenerated and while Cheryl sent her glowing reviews of their culture April instead continued to describe native peoples as the degenerates. She marries a white man, Bob, in order to put her native heritage behind her. There are many other scenes that consider this difficult problem. If I had to choose one of the most important scenes, it would be the rape scene. I wouldn't choose this scene just because of its destructive nature, though certainly this scene destroyed a very crucial part of both April and Cheryl's character. What struck me the most about this scene was that even while being raped and while thinking about her rape afterwards Cheryl's first thought was always: Why was I attacked? She didn't ask this question as a sort of probing hypothetical, she asked this question of herself because her rapists were calling her all sorts of derogatory names for native women, and Cheryl was more concerned as to how the men knew she was native since she prided herself on her ability to pass as white.

I feel that one of the most important scenes in In Search of April Raintree is when April realizes that in order for her to get what she wants and to live the life of a white person she must distance herself from Cheryl. Cheryl is darker and very passionate about her native background, which will make it impossible for her and April to coexist. This is a incredibly important scene because it means that while she wants to protect Cheryl and though she loves her, April is willing to choose her own happiness over being a family with her sister. While they are younger and growing up in separate households they seem to rely on each other for strength but as they age and begin looking in opposite directions they will soon butt heads. It is not until much later in the book that April realizes that Cheryl is aware of her feelings and that changes April's feelings about both Cheryl and herself.

The most important scene in In Search of April Raintree was when April reads through her sister's journal at the end of the book. Everything comes together for her, especially the details she wanted to know about her dad. Cheryl's demise sort of kick started April's love for her heritage, which was for the first time.

There were so many other important scenes throughout the book, but important for different reasons. Some were important to the plot, Cheryl and April's lives, but others were more prevalent to the big picture and meaning of the story. Another scene of great importance was when April realized that she wanted to be white and live her life differently than her sister. April, however, was able to see that pretending to be someone else was a mistake.

Going back to the scene where April reads Cheryl's journal, April sees truth and prides herself on her heritage, in an incredible ironic way.

There are so many scenes in this novel that are crucial. The one I would point to would be at the beginning when the girls are taken not from their home. Alcoholism was not seen as a disease, but a target because of their heritage. There were plenty of whites with similar situations that were ignored. I believe this is crucial because it once again shows how whites are compared differently to natives. Was it a good decision to take these girls away from there home? Probably, but that being said Whites should have been taken from there homes to. It seems it is more important for whites to send these girls to residential schools to strip them of their culture and assimilate a white culture into them. By doing this they are trying to destroy these girls heritage along with every other child their. Whites seem to believe what they are doing is right and their way is the only way. This was important to me because I could not imagine ever being taken away from my parents when they were on the verge of divorce because it was not a proper home life. In the end I believe being with your family is the key. Maybe they should not have been with their parents, but an attempt should have been made to help their parents and send them to another relative before conceiving to the notion that they could not be helped. Being a big family person I believe in the end they are the ones that have your back at all times.

I think that the most important scene in this novel is the last one, when April is reading Cheryl's letter after she finds out that she committed suicide and she starts thinking about her mother. The scene is moving and carries in it a strong emotional investment on the character's part. It also speaks of the role of the family and how it is important aspect of the native culture. This end scene is the tie that I felt the book needed all along or at least that you're always waiting for. When April and Cheryl are separated, you spend the rest of the book waiting for them to come together and even though they do find each other again, they're never quite together like they used to be. The ending provided the necessary closure, even if it wasn't an entirely happy ending, I thought that it worked and really made the novel a lot stronger.

In the end of the novel, you learn a lot more about April's reservations about their mother and because of that, it's easier to go back and see why she is the way she was and why she was so dead set on trying to keep Cheryl away from things like alcohol and prostitution, even if sometimes it was really out of her hands. It also serves as the final fact that pulls together the idea in the story that race and surroundings affect people in negative ways sometimes. It leads to the idea that things were only so much better off for April because she had a much fairer complexion than Cheryl, who kept getting the short end of the stick, so to speak.