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Lone ranger and tonto fistfight analysis
Lone ranger and tonto fistfight analysis
The lone ranger and tonto fistfight in heaven analysius
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Sherman Alexie’s book, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, is a captivating compilation of short stories. Alexie writes about his life growing up on an Indian Reservation in Washington and his “part time” life as an Indian when he leaves the reservation as an adult. Alexie writes his stories from all different perspectives but closely sticks with a character named Victor to tell most of his stories. Victor is a representation of Alexie. Throughout the story Alexie addresses stereotypes and the truth to them on the reservation, his family or lack there of and romance. One story that really encapsulated what Alexie was trying to share with readers was the story, “Because My Father Always Said He Was the Only Indian who Saw Jimi Hendrix …show more content…
He is not only able to remember it because it is a story his father told but also because someone caught a photo of him at this particular protest and Victor keeps the photo with him at all times to remember his father. Tensions were high and being a Native American during that time caused them to run higher. He also tells us that when his father was protesting he beat a police officer which landed him jail. ‘‘Although his prison sentence effectively kept him out of the war, my father went through a different kind of war behind bars’’ (25). That was when his father was forced to fight the cultural war of being Indian in a “white man’s world.” This quote retold by Victor from his dad really shows the danger of his time in jail and how race was a major factor- “We’d hear about somebody getting it in the shower or wherever and the word would go down the line. Just one word. Just the color of his skin. Red, white, black, or brown...’’ (25). According to Victor’s dad there is only, “War and peace with nothing in between. It’s always one or the other” (29). That is one of the only lessons that his father tried to teach him and this time of war is one of the only memories Victor has of his dad which is why war is an important …show more content…
That is usually how it goes, the reliable people in one’s life are often forgotten and then tossed aside for the unstable, sporadic people in their life. That is because the reliable people can’t offer something new and exciting every day but when the other people show up they can offer that, for example Victor’s dad offering a motorcycle ride. That motorcycle ride takes away from his mother caring for him every single day. Victor looks up to his dad so much that he will always be his hero and able to provide something for him that no one else can. Victor is riding on that hope and Victor’s dad is riding out that pedestal but eventually it will come to an end. Sometimes Victor realizes it but then he goes back to this disillusioned memory of his
We have all been alienated, stereotyped, and felt the general loss of control at one point in our lives, weather you are black, native American, Hispanic, or white. Race, skin color or nationality does not matter. This is the reoccurring theme in both of the text, “Women Hollering Creek” and “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven”. Women Hollering Creek is a story by Sandra Cisneros a noted Mexican novelist, poet, short story writer, and essayist (b. 1954). It is a story of a young Mexican girl Cleofilas, who with visions of grandeur leaves her family to marry a man she barely knows and begin a new life across the border in the United States. The second short story is by Sherman Alexie (b. 1966) who was born on a reservation to Native American parents. This story is about the struggles of a Native American man who tries to disprove the stereotypical view society has of Native Americans, and to fit into society outside of the reservation. In one way or another, both characters in these texts have experienced being singled out and made to feel as though they did not fit in.
Sherman Alexie grew up in Wellpinit, Washington as a Spokane/Coeur d’Alene tribal member (Sherman Alexie). He began his personal battle with substance abuse in 1985 during his freshman year at Jesuit Gonzaga University. The success of his first published work in 1990 incentivized Alexie to overcome his alcohol abuse. “In his short-story and poetry collections, Alexie illuminates the despair, poverty, and alcoholism that often shape the lives of Native Americans living on reservations” (Sherman Alexie). When developing his characters, Alexie often gives them characteristics of substance abuse, poverty and criminal behaviors in an effort to evoke sadness with his readers. Alexie utilizes other art forms, such as film, music, cartoons, and the print media, to bombard mainstream distortion of Indian culture and to redefine Indianness. “Both the term Indian and the stereotypical image are created through histories of misrepresentation—one is a simulated word without a tribal real and the other an i...
Sherman Alexie could possibly be the most realistic man on the planet. In his book, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven, Alexie uses short stories to paint a picture of his childhood growing up on an Indian reservation. Through a web of characters a saddening image is created with overriding themes of alcoholism, racism, distrust and failure. This image has become greatly controversial because of the stereotypical way it portrays the Spokane Indian tribe. Even though Alexie is himself a Spokane some may say that he was out of line in the depiction of his people; however, Alexie is simply a realist relaying information from his upbringing to the world. He tells not only of the bad but also of the good times on the reservation,
Culture has the power and ability to give someone spiritual and emotional distinction which shapes one's identity. Without culture society would be less and less diverse. Culture is what gives this earth warmth and color that expands across miles and miles. The author of “The School Days of an Indian Girl”, Zitkala Sa, incorporates the ideals of her Native American culture into her writing. Similarly, Sherman Alexie sheds light onto the hardships he struggled through growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation in his book The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven in a chapter titled “Indian Education”. While both Zitkala Sa and Sherman Alexie were Native Americans, and take on a similar persona showcasing their native culture in their text, the two diverge in the situations that they face. Zitkala Sa’s writing takes on a more timid shade as she is incorporated into the “white” culture, whereas Alexie more boldly and willingly immerses himself into the culture of the white man. One must leave something in order to realize how
After the death of William and Justine, Victor falls into a depression because he is disturbed with the guilt of the death of William and Justine.
The narrator from The Toughest Indian in the World starts off my withholding his struggles with self- identification. Only to then have it exposed in a defining moment when he asks the fighter to stay the night with him. The repercussions of his overnight visit with the fighter serve as an unfamiliar course of action. Initially the narrator reserves many of his natural inclinations as a sign of struggle with his self- identity. This can be demonstrated through “I almost protested, but decided against it.”
To begin, in “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” Sherman Alexie describes a moment in
In the 1800’s silver was becoming popular and most people were moving west to try and get rich. It was becoming very crowded and lots of people were not making lots of money as planned. The Lone Ranger series shows problems that were going on during this time. It also shows how Indians and Robbers were doing at this time. The Lone Ranger series can be called on of the best series ever. The Lone Ranger has influenced mass media because it was one of the first shows of that time. It also got tons of people very interested and addicted to it which led more advanced forms of the series came out.
Victor finally accepts the fact that his father is gone; “He searched his mind for memories of his father, found the good ones, found a few bad ones, added it all up, and smiled” (516). This illustrates to the reader that he gains forgiveness and acceptance of his father’s death. Furthermore, Thomas plays a huge role in the development of Victor. Though Thomas’s stories often annoy Victor, he gives a specific story that makes Victor realize his father’s intentions. Thomas goes on to explain a story that was actually a dream with Victor’s father, Arnold. He was “waiting for a vision,” or a sign from the dream. Victor’s dad explains to Thomas, “Take care of each other” (516). This definitely marks the turning point for Victor because no matter what issues come his way back home, he grows into a different person, in comparison to the beginning of the
The author, Sherman Alexie, is extremely effective through his use of ethos and ethical appeals. By sharing his own story of a sad, poor, indian boy, simply turning into something great. He establishes his authority and character to the audiences someone the reader can trust. “A little indian boy teaches himself to read at an early age and advances quickly…If he’d been anything but an Indian boy living in the reservations, he might have been called a prodigy.” Alexie mentions these two different ideas to show that he did have struggles and also to give the audience a chance to connect with his struggles and hopefully follow the same journey in becoming something great. By displaying his complications and struggles in life with stereotypical facts, Alexie is effective as the speaker because he has lived the live of the intended primary audience he is trying to encourage which would be young Indian
“What You Pawn I Will Redeem,” by Sherman Alexie gives readers a look at the life of homeless, easygoing, middle aged Native American, Jackson Jackson. The story, which is set in Seattle, describes the conditions that Jackson finds himself in. Alexie’s choice of motifs emphasizes the significance of cultural and historical references. With these concepts in mind, the reader is taken through a journey of self-realization. “What You Pawn I Will Redeem” narrates the internal struggle Jackson feels trying to figure out his personal identity as a Native American. The story chronicles situations that illustrate the common stereotypes about Natives. Through Jackson’s humble personality, the reader can grasp his
Victor had a tough relationship with his father and it becomes even worse as it gets. The more his dad was drinking,
Overall, Alexie clearly faced much difficulty adjusting to the white culture as a Native American growing up, and expresses this through Victor in his essay, “Indian Education.” He goes through all of the stages of his childhood in comparison with his white counterparts. Racism and bullying are both evident throughout the whole essay. The frustration Alexie got from this is clear through the negativity and humor presented in the experiences he had to face, both on and off of the American Indian reservation. It is evident that Alexie faces discrimination from white people, who he portrays as evil in every way, to show that his childhood was filled with anger, fear, and sorrow.
In conclusion, Sherman Alexie created a story to demonstrate the stereotypes people have created for Native Americans. The author is able to do this by creating characters that present both the negative and positive stereotypes that have been given to Native Americans. Alexie has a Native American background. By writing a short story that depicts the life of an Indian, the reader also gets a glimpse of the stereotypes encountered by Alexie. From this short story readers are able to learn the importance of having an identity while also seeing how stereotypes are used by many people. In the end of the story, both Victor and Thomas are able to have an understanding of each other as the can finally relate with each other through Victor's father.
Alexie Sherman’s, “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven” displays the complications and occasional distress in the relationship between Native-American people and the United States. Despite being aboriginal inhabitants of America, even in present day United States there is still tension between the rest of the country, specifically mainstream white America, and the Native-American population. Several issues regarding the treatment of Native-Americans are major problems presently. Throughout the narrative, several important symbols are mentioned. The title itself represents the struggles between mainstream America and Native-Americans. The theme of racism, violence, and prejudice is apparent throughout the story. Although the author