In the Story, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven and This Is What It Means To Say Phoenix, Arizona by Sherman Alexie is about the main character Victor how he encounter challenges about being Native American and poor. He has a companion named Thomas Builds a Fire with to accompany him on a trip to Phoenix Arizona to take his father and have him cremated. In the second story, Victor or the narrator talks more in depth about how it is being Native American in a foreign land. Also, describing how his relationship with Thomas in Journey has no effect on him. In the short Story, This Is What It Means To Say Phoenix, Arizona by Sherman Alexie Victor is more of a serious person more likely to because of his father’s death. Thomas in the …show more content…
For example, Victor does have friends he hangs out with, but if they saw him with Thomas Builds-A-Fire they will make fun of him for it. In the story it says, “ Nobody talked to Thomas anymore because he told the same damn stories over and over again.” This is indicating that Thomas doesn't have any friends, this is difference between Victor and Thomas. However, they were rather close in the past which is something both share that is similar. The dialogue of the story also contains certains elements that represents each character. “Thomas was a storyteller that nobody wanted to listen to.” and Victor was man trying to find money to go to Phoenix Arizona and back to get his father ashes. The quote that was displayed means is the author trying to telling that nobody cares for Thomas even though he had a rough past with both of his parents dying. He had friends overtime, but they end up leaving him as …show more content…
One obviously being, that Victor and Thomas are both Native Americans and have a similar goal getting to Phoenix Arizona. They both grew up together in the Reservation, but the story shows tells that Victors beat up Thomas at fifteen years old, in the movie he was twelve years old. It was similar but different age differences. Arnold, which is Victor’s father did have some good times with his son and Thomas. Back when Thomas went to Spokane to see vision Arnold was their to give him a lift back home and bought him Denny’s, this may be story regardless he did rescue thomas from the flaming building all those years ago. As for Victor, his father was abusive, but nonetheless, he did remember some good times he had with him in the story and in the movie. Both Victor and thomas had almost the same motivation to take the time and remember what Arnold did for
Literature is defined as written works, especially those considered of superior or lasting artistic merit. For a textbook definition, this suffices. However, literature is much more than that, it’s a form of expression. In Sherman Alexie’s The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven, we are able to see native communities in a different way than what we read about in articles or research papers. We’re given a different perspective on them which can help us understand these communities better. The first chapter, though it is early in the book, is able to support this idea.
This book report deal with the Native American culture and how a girl named Taylor got away from what was expected of her as a part of her rural town in Pittman, Kentucky. She struggles along the way with her old beat up car and gets as far west as she can. Along the way she take care of an abandoned child which she found in the backseat of her car and decides to take care of her. She end up in a town outside Tucson and soon makes friends which she will consider family in the end.
The imagery of fire continues in the story; the building of their fires, how the man molds the fires, and how they stoke the fire. When the boy gets sick the father is referred to many times of how he builds and rekindles the fire. This actual fire is a symbol for the fire that the man and the boy discuss carrying within in them. The man fights to save his son and the fire within the boy
...ent efforts, or men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air” (23). Here, The Valley of Ashes is regarded as complete destitution and hopelessness. The people known as the lower class do not wish to live in the valley of ashes. This is why people, like Myrtle try to do anything to get away from it but instead it becomes unachievable for them. When Myrtle tried to escape from the ashes by trying to be with a rich man like Tom, she dies. This embellishes how The American dream is unattainable. When Tom goes and sees George, you can see how the higher classes look down on the lower classes because of their different social positions. The higher-class people such as, Tom, Daisy, and Jordan represent the unstructured bodies of ashes within the valley. They are inconsiderate and conceited people arising from the dead ashes, changing the American Dream.
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.
In both short nonfictional stories, “ The Uprooting of a Japanese- American Family” by Yoshiko Uchida and “The Way to Rainy Mountain” by N.Scott Momaday both authors have comparative and contrasting traits in their purpose of writing their own stories.
Cobbs states “Thomas…. is a story teller… he was really the vehicle, he’s the natural character in order to make a movie (pg224). Thomas story telling is one of the things that made the movie more relatable to its audience. The only thing that made me wonder was if the stories were actually true or was it just Thomas making up stories to entertain his audience. When Thomas was telling a story to Victors fathers neighbor in Phoenix, victor claims that his story was false. Smoke signals is also an act of sovereignty given the fact that this was the first major film directed, acted and written by Native Americans themselves. It gave the Indian audience a sense of hope and joy being that this was not a film that negatively depicted them or had Indians as the bad guys. Also in the film, there was a scene that humorously referenced one of the movies that portrayed Indians negatively, which was when Thomas and victor were on the bus singing about John
The narrator, ever since he was young, never really stuck by the traditional family standard of living: his father decides to start a new family with someone else that is not his mother and given the freedom to choose to live with his Aunt as his parental guardian. The narrator defines his relationship that he has with his Aunt that allowed him to truthfully say that he was “proud to be her nephew and her son” (52), which displays the narrator’s perception that although he is not her direct son, he is a huge impact and part of her life. He is able to define himself as her sole son. As the story goes on, the narrator realizes the conflict that he is soon stuck between. His life is molded into a mixed culture where he would: still have strong holds to his Native American heritage along with accustoming to the white’s expectations of attending college while maintain a strong relationship with his Aunt. Through his aunt having “so much love and knowledge to share, which she passed onto [the narrator] naturally” (53), the narrator is able to witness first-hand about the Native American tradition and beliefs. As compared to Gary Soto’s work, both narrators were able to view their culture under a new light with a positive perspective. By the end of the stories, both narrators were able to associate themselves with their cultures without feeling the need to change it or contemplate over, something that is irreplaceably taught to them through the power of family. Through this process, they have materialized that they did not have to alter the structure and way of life of their family in order to find clarity with who they are. However, the difference between the two stories is that each narrator learns these lessons through different means. The narrator from “Looking for Work” learns through
Victor knew his father for twelve years of his life, but when he and Thomas travel to Arnold’s final home, Victor finds that he didn’t really know him at all. The film also touches on ideas of discrimination. Throughout the movie, Victor and Thomas were discriminated against many times, for example, when two white men stole their seats on the bus, telling them to “go back to their powwow.” Ideas of death and legacy also play a big part in Smoke Signals. The movie is centered around the death of Arnold, and Victor’s belief in the legacy that he left behind (whether he was an alcoholic who abused Victor, or a completely different man than Victor was willing to
I thought about telling him to bit my ass. I thought about making him apologize. But I couldn’t. He was never going to change. Let’s go, I said.” (p228) Junior was never really mad at Rowdy; even though Rowdy was the one who gave Junior a concussing during the basketball game. During the movie, Victor was annoyed and angry with Thomas for the entire trip to Victor’s dad. But towards the end of the movie, Victor came to the realization that Thomas is a great friend who had helped Victor to get to his dad, and is someone he is very close to. Victor was nicer and happy with Thomas; he even gave Thomas some of his dad’s ashes. This shows that Victor has mature and has forgiven Thomas for how he acted during the trip. Friendship and forgiveness are the two themes that I think are important from the book and the movie. We saw how Victor forgave Thomas for being annoying and appreciate Thomas’s friendship more. And how Victor has forgiven his dad’s mistakes after his dad passed away. In the book, we saw how Junior forgives his dad’s alcoholic problem and how his dad was not the best dad, but Junior learned to forgive anyways. He also sees how Junior forgives Rowdy for how cold Rowdy was acting towards Junior and
Many intriguing characters in literature are devised from the apprehension minorities have encountered with society in the pursuit of the American Dream. Oppressed by racism and societal pressures, the protagonists of our two stories attempt to gain realistic perspective as their desires to defy stereotypes are perpetuated and they struggle to break limits and overcome invisible constraints set by their respective races. This has been well presented in “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven” penned by Sherman Alexie who blatantly exposes the assumed societal roles of Native American Indians throughout history and “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin who highlights a black man’s plight in the slums of Harlem. This is not only painted through
With the different trips that Victor endures individually, it hints a sense of individuality as he seeks isolation from the world. He is also a very emotional man, who loves his family. As death of his family members occurs, he becomes emotionally unstable and seeks revenge against his creation. Ultimately trying to end the life he so vigorously wanted to create. This reflects both the passion and individualism theme from the Romantic
Thesis: In, This is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona, Victor's father's death leads to the many stories about their childhood that makes them reconsider their friendship.
In life, everyone experiences a time of hardship, and for the most part, those affected find methods of overcoming the adversity. The idea of getting through hardship is best reflected in; Sherman J. Alexie’s story “This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona” (274). In the story, victor whose father had recently died from a heart attack has to travel to phoenix Arizona to reclaim his father’s ashes and his truck. Victor is joined by his former childhood friend “Thomas Builds-the-fire”, who finances the trip to phoenix since Victor did not have the means. They drove back truck from phoenix to the reservation. Throughout the trip, Thomas is always telling stories mostly reminiscing about their childhood. It is through Thomas stories that we learn much about Victor’s father. Through the use of symbolism, and character development, Alexie conveys the idea that, when someone is experiencing an adversity, reconnecting and embracing the past may lead to a discovery of a brighter future.
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