Analysis Of Alexie 's Poem ' Alexie '

In today’s society, the Native American culture is found only in reservations and is not well known. Portrayed as

Native Americans on the reservations are at socially and economically disadvantage compared to persons who reside in metropolitan cities. Life advancement opportunities and individual accountability for better living standards are almost non-existence in many Native American communities. The environment that is around young adolescents are very

The concept of ‘being’ Indian and ‘becoming’ Indian isn’t a new one. One of the issues that arise is that it is one thing to claim identity as an Indian person but quite another to be perceived as one. It is a question of how a person navigates through living their life as a Native American. How they move within the given definitions. Are these people a part of their cultural communities. Do they contribute in any way to their society as Indigenous people. Do they understand the struggles? Do they work to stand up for indigenous rights? Does their claim lessen the work of the Native American people around them? Are they contributing or taking away from their indigenous communities?

Sherman Alexie’s “Indian Education” shows a year by year account of his schooling from 1971 - 1984 and what it was like for him being an American. Sherman Alexie was a Native American and because of this, was subjected to stereotypes and discrimination. For

We are not a relic of the past, a theme or a trend, we are not a style or costume, we are not mascots, noble savages or romantic fictional entities” (Grinberg, 2014, p.1). The media has portrayed a skewed image of a Native American which has influenced other

Imagine living in a world where you were kicked out of your home for your background and culture. Imagine living in a small secluded area with your people with poor housing, weak education, and poor health and wellness. This was the reality for American Indians years and years ago. In the 1960s and earlier there was a massive conflict in America known as the Civil Rights Movement, but one group that was discriminated against that is often overlooked is the Native Americans. They faced discrimination, unemployment, poor education and poor housing along with the social unacceptance.

Sherman Alexie’s poem “Evolution” shows an ever growing dived in reservations around America and the effects from its own poison. For when “Buffalo Bill opens” a pawn shop on the reservation, natives flee to the shop in order to “pawn their

In a novel by Sherman Alexie, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, important issues are brought to light, such as poverty, racism, alienation, and more, with little to no sugar coating. It is a one of a kind novel due to the vivid descriptions and sense of humor that give a first-person perspective on the life of a teenage Indian struggling through life and pushing past all odds in search of success. This book focuses on a small isolated reservation in Wellpinit Washington. As it brings to light the issues that these isolated reservations face when it comes to economics and healthcare. This story may focus on one person and tribe but it depicts issues that have arisen due to the wrongdoings that all Native American tribes suffered through because of the United States government.

Today my classmates and I took a trip to the Cherokee Reservation about an hour away from Warren Wilson college’s campus. It was most certainly worth the drive, for I have never been to a reservation before and was highly looking forward to learning about a culture, that honestly, I did not, and still do not, know enough about. In my public school education, from what I remember, my exposure to Native American studies in elementary school was primarily during Thanksgiving time, with storybooks and cartoons on bulletin boards of the Native Americans so graciously welcoming the pilgrims. As I got older, lesson plans became slightly more honest, explaining how we forced them out of their homes, treated them unfairly and discriminated against them,

In his stories, Alexie describes the despair, deficit, and alcoholism that can often be found the lives of Native Americans living on reservations. He has been praised for many of his writings that conjure sadness and resentment. His writings always leave the reader with a feeling of respect and sympathy for the characters who are in desperate situations.

In the late 1800’s Indians were seen through the eyes of the settlers as pests, people who occupy the land that rightfully belonged to the whites. They were thought of as savages. However this was not true, the Navajo Indians and many other tribes were only willing to fight for their land, families and the property that they have inhabited for hundreds of years (Robert A. Roessel, 1). In this time of lack of control, Navajos were overpowered by Americans who were in position of authority and control. This is because Americans lacked the understanding of the Navajo way, leading to be fatal for many as they were being transferred, resigned,

Sherman Alexie is an award-winning author who wrote the book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. The book is a semi-autobiography of Alexie’s life and his experience growing up on an Indian Reservation, as well as a more economically well-off school, where he was the only Native American student. The book gives readers the opportunity to get an idea of what life is like living on an impoverished reservation. It depicts the struggles of young Arnold Spirit Jr., or Junior, as he is known on the reservation, as he grows up living a double-life, or as he says “as a part-time Indian”. His struggles include dealing with poverty, alcoholism, and racism, all while trying to make something of his life. The book, which has multiple themes discussed throughout our online course, is a great way for people who have no experience with reservations to understand what life on one is like.

This denomination encompasses more than 600 different indigenous groups across the country. The social, cultural and political diversity among these populations is as broad as its particular history and cultural nuances; they are as differentiated as countries are. Nevertheless, they have certain commonalities. Historically, they were victims of colonization. Politically, the ethnocentrism of the law and policy-makers (McIntosh, 1988; Clear, 2007; Alexander, 2012) categorized them as a homogenous group; they are “American Indians.” This socially constructed category resulted on ignoring the specific cultural, geographical and political necessities. Therefore, all the laws and acts, and so on, that Congress passed affected them differently, though created an equal damage. This research aims to address the social and political ‘casualties’ of homogenization, through the Natives historical and contemporary testimonies. The narratives about historical and contemporary events would be the ones in precedent-setting consequences. This research endeavors to explain how those events resulted in a present-day shared identity as American Indians, a collective narrative of the state’s policies and the solidarity within all those who identified as members of Tribal Nation and as American

Reservation throughout the United States are designated spaces for Native Americans to maintain their traditional lifestyles. Americans, have never been very accepting of Native Americans or more frequently referred to as Indians. Sherman Alexie, an author of many short stories, novels, and poetry is himself an Indian and writes about his experiences in Superman and Me. Alexie writes of developing a love for reading that set the difference for his progress. In both the Indian and non-Indian worlds there is a pattern of ridicule, but that does not halt the progress of an individual with determination and diligence.

“The Facebook Sonnet” and “Grief Calls Us to the Things of This World” are two poems written by Sherman Alexie that share some of the same techniques. However, the two poems are not so alike in many ways. The content of this essay will converse about the themes of the two poems and how techniques are used to illustrate them. The main difference between these two poems is the how Sherman Alexie uses techniques in the two poems. With this in mind, the tone of the two poems will also be analyzed.