Sherman Alexie's "This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona" is a powerful and poignant short story that explores themes of loss, grief, and the complexities of human relationships.
The story follows the character of Victor, a young Native American man living on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Washington state. When Victor receives news that his father has died in Phoenix, Arizona, he is faced with the daunting task of traveling to retrieve his father's ashes and bring them back home to the reservation.
As Victor embarks on his journey, he is accompanied by his estranged childhood friend, Thomas Builds-the-Fire, who offers to help him navigate the unfamiliar landscape and culture of the city. Through their interactions and conversations, we see the deep bonds of friendship and loyalty that exist between the two men, despite the years and distance that have separated them.
As they travel, Victor and Thomas confront their own personal demons and regrets, and we see the ways in which their past experiences and traumas have shaped and impacted their present lives. Along the way, they also encounter a range of characters, each of whom brings their own unique perspective and story to the narrative.
Ultimately, "This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona" is a moving and thought-provoking exploration of the human experience, and the ways in which we confront and come to terms with loss and grief. Through its poignant and deeply affecting portrayal of characters and their relationships, the story offers a powerful and resonant meditation on the enduring bonds of friendship and the enduring power of the human spirit.
This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona Themes
There are some different kinds of problem are poverty, education and job etc. However, this story revived my passion towards reading more and more American literature. Although the reservation is presented as a place where history has produced poverty, alcoholism, and disillusionment, Thomas, himself a product of the reservation, seems to have transcended this. A True Friend In Joseph Whitewell's The Day Of The Last Rock Fight 735 Words 3 Pages In life, a true friend is considered to be one of the most important things a person can have. In general, both of the masterpieces under consideration speak on the same problem of the relationships between fathers and sons. His work is an exploration of the way in which modern Indigenous individuals try to connect to their past and survive in a world that has deprived them of their land and many of their traditions. When these two pieces of literature are compared to each other, it is clear that Jackson Jackson fills in the blanks of Montana 1948 with redemption for the Native Americans that reveals their true character and proves the wrongness of bigotry.
This is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona by Sherman Alexie
That, in itself is very unfortunate. Victor, meanwhile, seems to have abandoned most of his dreams, and his culture, at the beginning of the story and drinks heavily. Constant reminding of his own culture made Victor look at those from a new perspective, though he was negatively affected by the contemporary surroundings, totally forgetting about his roots. Why did Sherman Alexie choose to write in first person? They share the ashes. Indian Education Summary 233 Words 1 Pages In "Indian Education" Victor was Native American. The author allows the audience to become the social media that critiques his life when he evokes important episodes of his life through Victor and Thomas Builds-the-Fire liveliness. I think they cannot go back to the original stage because Thomas is still holding onto his tribal tradition and telling stories, which no one understands and Victor is more modernize.
The Usage of Symbolism in Sherman Alexie's Short Story This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona
Though this constantly got him into trouble his love never ceased. For Thomas, it is to be a warrior in the old tradition. For example, at the beginning of the story, Alexie poses the question of whether anyone on a reservation has money—save the people who sell cigarettes and fireworks. In the America they face so many struggles in every single time. As a boy, Thomas told Victor a story about two Indigenous boys who steal a car and return it to the police in an empty, ironic attempt to be heroes. During the movie, Thomas tried to befriend Victor. For example, the American government has a sour relationship with its citizens as presented by Cathy, the only American athlete who represented the country in the Olympic Games.
Symbolism in What It Means to Say Phoenix
However, it was a great breakthrough for both heroes; moreover, Thomas Builds-the-Fire showed a true sign of friendship requesting nothing in return for his sponsorship. The last date is today's date — the date you are citing the material. To men, who used to be friends until social expectations drove one of them away, get on a plane to Phonix collect said man's dead fathers' bank account. They had been playing hide and seek and William ran off to hide himself, but then could not find him so he waited for his return that never came. .
Sherman Alexie's This Is What It Means To Say Phoenix,...
So, Victor is forced to address Thomas Builds-the-Fire and the story of old friends restarts. After working on the ranch a couple of days Lennie does something bad again and gets killed by George. The tear was made of friendship—a single word—and it dried and became a seed, and when next the girl was in the forest, she planted that seed among the other trees. Thomas came up to Victor and said did your dad leave because he hates you and Victor beats up Thomas because Thomas was Provoking him and Victors Victor's Exile In Frankenstein 734 Words 3 Pages He wishes he had not been so distant with everybody, and had told them about the life he had created. Jackson is put to the test each and every day to find new ways to interact in the big city and figure out how he can mix his historic traditions with the contemporary civilization that is set in Seattle, Washington.
