Character Relationship Map: The Wake

Characters

• Joan Laboucane (played by Victoria Snow) — protagonist
• Donna Desjarlais (played by Diane Debassige) — protagonist
• Jim Whalen (played by Timothy Webber) — supporting
• Marlene (played by Michelle Thrush) — supporting
• Crystal (played by Cynthia Alcorn) — supporting
• Grandmother (played by Jean Paul) — supporting
• Crawford (played by Frank Adamson) — supporting
• Cora (played by Linda Migwans) — supporting
• Gary (played by Kennetch Charlette) — supporting

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Jim Whalen → Joan Laboucane (Professional Superior) — Work hierarchy
• Joan Laboucane → Donna Desjarlais (Power Community Leader) — Represents societal expectations
• Jim Whalen → Crawford (Professional Colleague) — Fellow police officers
• Donna Desjarlais → Grandmother (Family Granddaughter) — Cultural heritage connection
• Donna Desjarlais → Marlene (Family Sisters) — Sisters with cultural connections
• Jim Whalen → Donna Desjarlais (Romantic Lovers) — Police officer and Métis woman in forbidden relationship

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Crystal → Donna Desjarlais (Social Friend) — Community connection
• Gary → Donna Desjarlais (Social Friend) — Community connection
• Donna Desjarlais → Cora (Social Friend) — Community support

Story Analysis

Forbidden love between a police officer and Métis woman in 1980s Alberta

Plot Progression

1. Forbidden Beginnings — A police officer and Métis woman meet in rural Alberta, beginning an unexpected connection that challenges their respective worlds.
2. Hidden Desires — The relationship deepens as the lovers navigate societal disapproval and their own internal conflicts.
3. Cultural Crossroads — The affair becomes public, forcing both lovers to confront the full consequences of their forbidden relationship.