Sherman Alexie's This Is What It Means To Say Phoenix, Arizona

There are many scenes throughout the film that display Thomas’s need to be friends and heard by Victor. The scene in the market where Thomas offers to pay to get Victor to go to his dad in Phoenix, as long as he can come along is a great example. Both boys were raised together and both without a solid father figure. We learn that Victors father left when he was still a young boy due to alcohol and the fire being a prominent struggle in the native culture. After the scene where Victors father leaves, we see how the possible struggle between the boys began. We learn that Victor’s father had died and they traveled to get his ashes. Perhaps this a reason why Thomas is incessantly bringing up Victor’s dad and telling stories, true or not. is the

The book “This Is What It Mean to Say Phoenix, Arizona” by Sherman Alexie illustrate friendship and care with both friends then she goes deep into Native American belief and culture. The way she show it in the book is Thomas show that he still cared for Victor though of what his father was going through in life and still wanted to keep a stronger friendship bond. The relationship between Thomas Builds-the Fire and Victor is intriguing. The trait that Thomas has of constantly story-telling is how history is passed on in many cultures, especially in the Native American culture. Even though their relationship changed over the years, he is still the one that Victor takes with him to Phoenix. I think the fact that Thomas had the money to go was

In the film, Alexie uses different perspectives of how Thomas and Victor view their relationship with Victor’s deceased father to learn from each other from their contrasting personalities. They are like “Children born of flame and ash” (Smoke Signals). Thomas is very naïve, calm and innocent like “ashes” in a way. With the isolation of the Indian reservation, he lacks the outside world

Stereotypes are shown in the story through the binary depictions of Victor and Thomas Builds-the-Fire. The most important binary that is emphasized by Alexie is the stereotypes that Victor is “bad,”while Thomas is good. Victor is portrayed as the negative views of Indians. “Victor was really drunk and beat up Thomas up for no reason at all” (Alexie). In this situation, Victor is shown as the typical drunk Native American. Other stereotypes that are presented by Victor are that Indians are lazy when he fails to be persistent to try to get more money to get to Phoenix. When Victor beats up Thomas as a teenager, this depicts Victor as the bloody savage. Thomas Builds-the-fire, on the other hand, is portrayed as the more positive view of Native Americans. The romantic portrayals of Native Americans include the idea that they are noble savages. Indians are characterized as gentle and connected to the world. For example, instead of being captured as a bloody savage as Victor, Thomas is seen as the noble savage as he appears to be more connected with the environment and nature. Being connected with the nature and the world shows that Thomas-Builds-the-Fire is is not a selfish person. Also, instead of being viewed as lazy, Thomas Builds-the-Fire appears as diligent. This is because Thomas continued to

In the story This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona by Sherman Alexie readers follow the characters Victor and Thomas as they travel to claim the ashes of Victors deceased father. The trip will take them from their Native American reservation in Washington state to Arizona. This trip is long and with Thomas the Story Teller it’s even longer. Life on the reservation is hard due to all the poverty, alcoholism and other problems that modern Native Americans face. This trip is a way for the two boys to escape their problems. Victor had a hard time scrapping together money to make the trip and with the help of Thomas he finally gets all the money that he needs to travel to Arizona. The movie Smoke Signals directed by Chris Eyre is the short story interrupted into a movie. The movie is similar in many ways to the story but there are also many difference between the two. The similarities and differences were used to add detail to characters, story, plot and setting to creates a story that is rich in content for both the short story and movie.

In short story “This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona,” by Sherman Alexie, characterization and symbolism played major roles to make the story appealing to the readers’ hearts. The author does well by creating two opposite characters and making them work together. Victor and Thomas are two characters that have a bit of a stranded past that seems to linger into their present relationship together.  The two don’t seem to get along very well at all during the first part of their journey but as they progress towards Phoenix Arizona storytelling; the thing that at first seemed to tear them apart was able to bring them together.  The element of storytelling evolves and these changes enable the characters to move from the memories and pain

In the story “This is What It Means to Say Phoenix Arizona” by Sherman Alexie, the main character Victor is a full blood Native American, whose father recently passed away in Phoenix, Arizona. Victor must take the trip to collect his father 's ashes, however due to his current financial situation he is unable to take his journey. An old friend of Victors, by the name of Thomas builds-the-fire, offers to help fund Victors trip on the condition that he go with him. It is because of Thomas that Victor is able to complete his journey. Thomas Builds-the-Fire’s character shows uncanny heroism, faithfulness to his friend, and the courage to overcome obstacles.

The loyalty Thomas portrays to looking after Victor is towards a promise made to Victor's father. Two years after making the promise, at the age fifteen, "… Victor and Thomas got into a fistfight, " after Victor got drunk which, "The beating might of have gone on until Thomas was dead..." (Alexie 281). By taking the abuse Thomas follows Victor's father wishes to look after his son by taking Victor's aggression because his existence was least

The two men are attracted to each other. By one means or another, Builds-The-Fire knows about Victor's misfortune and offers to offer assistance. He requests that help Victor recover his dad's fiery debris, while Victor still ponders and works up the strength to have Builds-The-Fire tag along. In any case, as saw through backstory, Victor is battling for self-character and misfortune which straightforwardly impact his emotions and conduct towards Builds-The-Fire. Thomas is attempting to grab this outing as a chance to utilize stories to change Victor's feeling of uselessness into reason.

Coming from a traditional Native American tribe located in who knows where Victor was simple kid and having one close friend. And that only friend he ever showed great interest in as a child was Thomas-Builds-the-Fire.But time can change a person and Victor no longer gave Thomas that interest as they grew up.In till Victor's father died and he had no option but to come to an agreement with himself to rejoin Thomas-Builds-the Fire in a trip to Phoenix,Arizona to collect his father’s remains,belongings but also to collect a lesson to himself. Victor contemplates his true ties to himself and even to Thomas-Builds-the-Fire throughout his journey with Thomas.But only to become regretful in the end and try to be a fair person with Thomas-Builds-the-Fire.

Victor simply replied, “Yeah. He didn’t mean to, Thomas.” (Smoke Signals) Instead of Victor yelling about how his father abandoned him and his mother like he used to when they were kids, he accepted that he never meant to leave, and when he did, he always meant to come back to them, but never had the chance. This illustrates that Victor is no longer blaming his father and has moved on, as an adult. Fire had a larger presence in Smoke Signals than in Arrow of God.

He is very optimistic and loves to talk and tell stories. As these two individuals set out on the journey to Arizona to retrieve Thomas’s dad’s ashes after they learn that he has passed, they also begin to discover themselves in the a new and “foreign” world. While on this journey,Victor’s

In Smoke Signals directed by Chris Eyer, the journey that Victor had taken to Phoenix, Arizona seemed like a simple task to achieve, but then realizes how his anger for his father is unworthy, and learns to accept what had happened in the past. In the beginning, Victor learns that his father has passed away in Phoenix, all he feels is hatred, but agrees to go there, just to attain the truck. As he leaves the convenient store to cash a check, he returns home to get ready for his trip, but then has flashbacks of childhood memories he had with his father. It wasn’t the greatest memory, his father was a drunk and beat him for the simplest mistakes he made. As the scene goes on, you notice that he has a snobby attitude and doesn’t want anything

In the story "This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona" by Sherman Alexie, two American Indians Victor and Thomas Builds-the-Fire together travel to Phoenix, Arizona. Victor's estranged father has recently died, leaving Victor three hundred dollars and a truck in Phoenix, Arizona, so Victor must journey to Arizona from Washington to retrieve the property. The Tribal Council of the Coeur D'Alene Indian Reservation were unable to provide sufficient funds for Victor's trip to Arizona. Thomas, Victor's old childhood friend assists with the money needed for the trip to Arizona. During the story, the author Alexie provides insight into the societal issues that harm American Indians on Indian reservations. The societal issues on American Indian

Even though Thomas helped Victor in many ways Thomas is aware they cannot be friends after coming back from Arizona. After their journey Thomas does not expect anything in return. Thomas tells Victor, "I know you ain't going to treat me any better than you did before” (Alexie,1994). “I know your friends would give you too much shit about it” (Alexie,1994). It is also apparent that the author realizes it is not nice to treat people as Others but we still do. Even though Victor