A Drug Called Tradition By Sherman Alexie

Most of Alexie’s writing reflects life on the reservations today. The poverty, oppression, commodity food, and alcoholism are the main themes in his stories. The title story of his collection The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven, however, deals with the life of an Indian man who has left the reservation to live in Seattle and some of the obstacles he faces in the white world. We never know the main character’s name, probably because he feels like a nameless nobody in this strange world. He is alienated and told that he doesn’t belong even

“Indians are like the weather.” With his opening words Vine Deloria Jr. sets up the basis for the rest of his witty yet substantial manifesto, Custer Died for Your Sins. The book, which describes the struggles and misrepresentation of the American Indian people in 1960s American culture, is written in a style that changes from ironic and humorous satire to serious notions, then back again. Through energetic dialogue that engages the reader in a clever and articulate presentation, Deloria advocates the dismissal of old stereotypes and shows a viewpoint that allows the general public to gain a deeper understanding of what it is to be an American Indian.

In the short story, “This is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona”, by Sherman Alexie, I looked at two characters: Thomas and Victor. Thomas Builds-the-Fire is a storyteller on a reservation who everyone ignores because they think he is crazy. Victor on the other hand is a guy who would not dare be seen talking to Thomas. Thomas knows that Victor is in need of help, but Victor will not admit it. I want to show how these two characters who are completely opposite of each other, come together during a time of need.

In his story “The Lakota Way; Joseph Marshall III adequately convinces the reader to persevere through a series of stories that allows the reader to develop a personal connection with characters. Marshall achieves this by informing the reader and using formal diction. This allows his readers to experience how perseverance can have a positive impact on one’s life. Marshall teaches us that Perseverance represents a quality in human beings that allows us to be steadfast despite the difficulty. In the folk tale “The Story of the Giant,” perseverance is abundant; Marshall utilizes the skill of teaching to persuade his audience to persevere through the story. Marshall‘s unique way of writing allows the reader to take lessons from a story and influence them to use it in their own lives. From lya the giant terrorizing people to Indians having to leave their land because of the government to Marshall’s grandfather’s stories of hardship, Marshall shows his audience how the Native Americans have always had it rough but more importantly how they persevered.

In the story, “This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona” by Sherman Alexie the two main characters are Victor and Thomas Builds-the-Fire. The story is about Victor and Thomas who are childhood best friends that went on a trip from their reservation to Phoenix, Arizona to collect Victor father’s savings account. Throughout the trip, they experience many flashbacks of when they were friends such as when Victor stepped into a wasp nest. The character I choose to analyze is Thomas Builds-the-Fire. Thomas Builds-the-Fire is a storyteller. Even though the Native American culture is dying, Thomas Builds-the-Fire still values the culture and helps

     Traditionally, Native American Literature has been an oral genre. Although Native American Literature was the first American literature created, it has been the last to be recognized -and, to some extent, is still waiting for full recognition (www.usc.edu). With the Indian being forced to assimilate, their literature was forced to take on a written form. Although the traditional way of storytelling has changed, Native American Literature has survived. In it's written form, it is being shared with a larger population. Black Elk Speaks (Neihardt 1932) and The Lone Ranger and Tonto FistFight in Heaven (Alexie 1993) are two Native American works of

Native American literature from the Southeastern United States is deeply rooted in the oral traditions of the various tribes that have historically called that region home. While the tribes most integrally associated with the Southeastern U.S. in the American popular mind--the FIVE CIVILIZED TRIBES (Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole)--were forcibly relocated to Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma) from their ancestral territories in the American South, descendents of those tribes have created compelling literary works that have kept alive their tribal identities and histories by incorporating traditional themes and narrative elements. While reflecting profound awareness of

The book The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie, tells of Native American life on the reservation. In the story “The Trial of Thomas Builds-the-Fire” symbolism is used to echo how Native Americans were mistreated by the United States government. Still to this day Native Americans are forced to live on reservations which were originally prisoner of war camps. Alexie uses the symbolism of Thomas Builds-the-Fire’s conviction to show how Native Americans pay the price for injustices committed by the United States of America.

Sherman J. Alexie, is a short story written in the first person focusing on two Native American Men who grew up together on a Reservation for Native Americans but have been estranged from each other since they were teenagers. Victor who is the narrator of this story is a young man who lost faith in his culture and its traditions, while Thomas our second main character is a deeply rooted traditional storyteller. In the beginning of the story Victor, our Native American narrator learns the death of his father. Jobless and penniless, his only wish is to go to Phoenix, Arizona and bring back his father’s ashes and belongings to the reservation in Spokane. The death of Victor’s father leads him and Thomas to a journey filled with childhood

In “The Quandry at Pure Drug” by Karen Marquiss and Joanne Ciulla there is a situation in the Philippines where a lot of children have measles. Puredrug, a large pharmaceutical company, is able to help in treat the measles situation in the Philippines with a drug called Travolene. A new test has found endotoxin, which is a toxic substance, in Travolene. This endotoxin may result in a high fever if it is ingested. The Canadian Government rejected the batch of Travolene because of a new test for endotoxin, however the Philippine government still uses the old test which found no endotoxin in the batch. Puredrug is facing a declining market share and weak profits due to economic downturn and product development problems. Puredrug fell short of its goals for the year and predicts an $8 million loss for the year which means small investors may switch to pharmaceutical companies for better results. With this loss being so significant, large investors may also support a takeover by Puredrugs’ competitors. Selling this lot of Travolene to the Philippines would yield an $8 million contract and would “put Puredrug into the black for 2013 and help foster a lucrative relationship with the Philippines” (Marquiss & Ciulla).

Like a coin dropped between the cushions of a couch, traditional oral storytelling is a custom fading away in current American culture. For Native Americans, however, the practice of oral storytelling is still a tradition that carries culture and rich history over the course of generations. Three examples of traditional oral stories, “How Men and Women Got Together”, “Coyote’s Rabbit Chase”, and “Corn Mother”, demonstrate key differences in perspectives and values among diverse native tribes in America.

No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” Unfortunately Native Americans have deep roots with racism and oppression during the last 500 years. “In The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven,” Sherman Alexie tries to show racism in many ways in multiple of his short stories. These stories, engage our history from a Native American viewpoint. Many Native Americans were brutally forced out of their homes and onto Reservations that lacked resources. Later, Indian children were taken from their families and placed into school that were designed to, “Kill the Indian, save the man.” In the book there are multiple short story that are pieces that form a larger puzzle that shows the struggles and their effects on Native Americans. Sherman Alexie shows the many sides of racism, unfair justice and extermination policies and how imagination is key for Native American survival.

Our story opens with a monologue and a house fire on what we learn is the Coeur d’Alene Indian Reservation in Washington. We see a man catch a baby thrown from the second story while the child’s parents die in the fire. The two families involved are our main characters. One family is made up of Arnold and Arlene Joseph, as well as their son, Victor. The other family is Thomas Builds-the-Fire and his grandmother, who raises him after his parents’ deaths. After the house fire, we see that Arnold cuts his long hair and begins to abuse alcohol, and after becoming physically and emotionally abusive, leaves for good to Phoenix, Arizona. After ten years, Victor and Arlene get news that Arnold has died and someone needs to come get his remains, which were cremated. Thomas offers Victor the funds to get there, on the condition that he can come along. Victor reluctantly agrees, and they set off to the bus station. They walk to the bus station and are picked up on the way by two teenage girls driving a car in reverse. During the trip, they encounter a young woman who claims to be an Olympic gymnast and two southern men who take their seats on the bus. Victor tries to teach Thomas how to be a “real Indian” by taking out his braids and changing out of his suit. Once they arrive in Phoenix and walk to his father’s trailer in the middle of the desert, they then meet a woman named Suzy Song. Suzy grew close to Arnold during his time in Phoenix, and saw him as a type of father figure. She

In Sherman Alexie’s novel The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven shows the struggles of daily Native American life, which is shown through the point of view of male character. All though out the book the following three questions appear: ‘What does it mean to live as an Indian in this time? What does it mean to be an Indian man? and What does it mean to live on an Indian reservation?’ Alexie uses literary devices such as point of view, imagery, characterization to make his point that the conflict of being an Indian in the U.S. in these short stories using the following short stories “An Indian Education” and “Amusement”. “An Indian Education” uses both imagery and characterization to show us what the narrator is

Joe Dillon is a boy, who introduced the Wild West. He has a library of Wild West stories, and every evening after school the boys would meet in the back garden and pretend they were Indians. Joe and his brother, Leo, would fight hard. The other boys never won a battle. Every morning, at eight-o’-clock, Joe’s parents would go to church. Joe played too harsh, in comparison to his smaller and younger playmates. It was strange when the boys found out that Joe had a vocation for the priesthood. The boys banded together, out of bravery, jealousy, or fear. There were a few boys, though, who banded together so as not to seem studious or less strong. The Indian battles were strange, but the narrator felt he could escape. He preferred American detective stories. One day, Father Butler was listening to pages from a Roman History book, and Leo was discovered with an Indian book. Father Butler is confused, and everyone acts innocent. Father Butler tells Leo he is never to find Indian books at college again. He believes that the author wrote Indian books in order to pay for drinks. If the boys were National School boys, Father Butler would understand this behavior. The narrator began to miss the Wild West adventures, as the influence of school became farther away. The Indian warfare in the evenings, though, became boring. The