This Is What It Means To Say Phoenix Arizona Analysis

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Symbolism is a big part of This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix Arizona. In fact, the story is a bit cryptic. At face value, it is a short road-trip about two long-separated friends. But, underneath what is obvious, it is a story of growth, clarity, and understanding. Starting with the tittle, the story makes a statement that leaves a question. The key word from the title is “Phoenix.” This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix Arizona is about Victor rising up as a character. Victor didn’t really go through any obvious changes in the story. Beyond the superficial level, though, he gained clarity. A clarity particular to his place in life. When the story started Victor was stubborn and closed minded. Thomas was just a weird man he was once friends with, and the reservation was his home—even though he didn’t much care for it. By the end of This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix Arizona, Victor began down the path of understanding. He still rejected Thomas as a friend and went back to the reservation he spent his whole life on, but he did so with a new direction. Victor told Thomas that he would listen to just one of his stories. Before …show more content…

Mostly in Victor, but also in the world. Traditionalism versus modernism has a hand in the entire narrative. Thomas follows the typical architype of a Native-American in fiction. He listens to wind for answers, tells anecdotal proverbs and stories, as an example. Beyond the scope of characters, there were also broad scale changes going on. The people living on the reservation kept old values where they could, but they also did things like celebrate the fourth of July. Thomas even mentioned that it made no sense for Native-Americans to celebrate the fourth of July because the independence the holiday celebrates isn’t directed towards Native-Americans. Victor and Thomas are representative of the traditional and modern parts of the world. They are two halves of a

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