Smoke Signals Analysis

To conclude, the setting between Smoke Signals and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian have comparisons and differences.

In the movie, Native Americans are often portrayed as spiritual, noble, and free this ideal image of Native Americans captured the world’s imagination at one point. It all began in late 1800s when Native Americans were among the first to shot silent by Thomas. One of the common attraction that made

Alongside the issues of alcohol addiction came the problems of child abandonment and the separation of Native American families. Both of these situations came to further problematize the contemporary native condition as the protagonists in both films had to deal with the effects of broken households. In Smoke Signals, this dilemma was a fundamental force that drove the film’s story and was the main reason why Victor and Thomas had to go pick up the ashes of Victor’s dad after he died. In Rhymes for Young Ghouls, the initial arrest of Aila’s dad and the suicidal death of her mother came after the accidental death of her younger brother as a result of both of her parent’s drunken state. Both characters had to deal with the loss of their innocence early in their childhood as a result of their dreadful experiences and the loss of one or both of their parents. This comes to portray the current condition of Native People as being very bleak even from the start of their early life and as the characters continue to face the dilemmas found throughout their respective stories, the story will try to provide a more optimistic outlook toward future native

Native Americans express their voice in films by incorporating their history, culture and traditions for Indigenous purpose. These independent cinema efforts are produced by filmmakers who want to tell a story about their tribes around the world and educate the younger generations. Zacharias Kunuk, filmmaker of Antantarjuat; The Fast Runner and Journals of Knud Rasmussen, “compels non-Inuit spectators to think differently, not only about what constitutes indigenous content in films and more conventional representations of Native Americans in cinematic history, but also about indigenous visual Aesthetics” (Raheji 1168).

Native Americans are mostly judged by their addictions and the battles they fought. They are not normally judged by the hardships they had to face. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian and Smoke Signals show that these struggles are real. In his book, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian, and his movie, Smoke Signals, Sherman Alexie wrote about the challenges of being a Native American. Diary and Smoke Signals are similar because they both showed many family problems throughout the story lines. Also, they are similar in that the families faced difficulty with alcohol addiction. They differ because in Diary, the main character, Junior, adapts to his new school that has all white students while in Smoke Signals, Victor tries not to interact with anyone outside his race.

The film Smoke Signals (1998) is about a pair of Native American boys, Thomas Builds-the-fire, a cheery, slightly naïve boy, and Victor Joseph, a traditional and serious boy, that venture out on a cross country journey to Phoenix, Arizona from their reservation in Idaho to retrieve the ashes of Victor’s abusive and alcoholic father.

The American Indian occupies a unique place in the White American imaginary. Indians, one is told, are cordial, wise, poor in the “humble poverty” sort of way, brown, there assist whites with either mystic knowledge or humorous ignorance. Figures such as Squanto, Tonto and Disney’s Pocahontas along with a large smattering of Westerns and cartoonish depictions have created this image of the Native American – an image which rarely translates into the present day. In contrast to this, Sherman Alexie’s novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a Native American coming-of-age story centered around the first-person point of view of the Native protagonist Arnold “Junior” Spirit, Jr. and his dual life on the Spokane Indian Reservation and his time off the reservation at an all-white public school in the town of Reardan, Washington. The novel revolves around themes like race, identity formation and mortality and details life on Indian reservations as it attempts to give a realistic account of contemporary Native American life, each which shape the novel in unique ways.

Everyone has obstacles he/she has to go through when growing up. Some situations are just much worse than others. These tragic memories stick with the person for their lifetime. Victor Joseph in the movie Smoke Signals is a great example of a man with a very dour childhood that includes many hardships. Victor Joseph’s journey in Smoke Signals highlights the universal theme on fear of one’s past.

As a result of Stewart’s indifference to his callous actions, Claire alienates herself in a frantic attempt to reconcile with the indigenous community. Conversely, Claire’s ignorance of indigenous customs is explored when she intrinsically ‘walk[s] into a stranger’s house and look[s] at them dead’, presenting viewers with the revelation that reconciliation begins with compassion and understanding. Furthermore, the despondent, non-diegetic soundtrack reflects the white community’s unwillingness to contribute to Claire’s donation box as the indigenous are known to ‘look after their own’, urging viewers to question white society’s spiritual emptiness in comparison to indigenous beliefs. Specifically highlighted by the communities response, ‘Maybe she was up for it’ presenting viewers with a confronting revelation that damaging stereotypes are forged through insufficient understanding of Aboriginal cultures. Lawrence’s placement of the traditional smoking ceremony, a form of cleansing, illuminates the indigenous and white community’s meaningful reconciliation and the restoration of

When turning a short story into a motion picture, there are bound to be differences, not only to show a change of scenery but to add length as well. In the short story, “This is what it means to say Phoenix, Arizona,” and in the motion picture, “Smoke Signals,” Author Sherman Alexie creates changes between the two to enhance his visual of the story and to help create a more dynamic story line. While there are many little differences throughout the story, such as the change from diet pepsi to coke, there are several large contrasts that change the entire way the story is interpreted.

In the film Smoke Signals, Sherman Alexie displays the importance of past using action, flashbacks and storytelling. There was a fire when Victor and Thomas were only babies; both of Thomas’s parents died, but Arnold saved baby Thomas. Although Thomas doesn’t remember it, it affected his whole life dramatically. This flashback sets the stage for the idea that the past is why everything is how it is in the present. The scene where the girls are driving backwards down the road is a solid example of a metaphor for how looking at the past can help you progress into the future. After hearing a story that was a trade for a ride, Velma says “I think it’s a fine example of the oral tradition”. The metaphor we used for the backwards driving and

For most of my life, the word “Native American” had immediately made me think of feathers, powwows, and a society uncorrupted by civilization. However, in watching the movie Smoke Signals, a movie that depicts the modern Native American culture, I learned many other things. For one, I learned that many of the customs that modern Native Americans have are very similar to my own. I also saw that the family life of the Native Americans in the film had many of the same problems that my family had undergone in the past years. This film was unlike any that I have ever seen; therefore, it reached me on a very personal level.

"Smoke Signals" is an independent film directed by, Chris Eyre. The film, "Smoke Signals", is based on a short story named, "This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona", by Sherman Alexie. At the end of the film, "Smoke Signals", the character "Thomas" says some words in phrases, which puts us all to think. He invokes problems that happen in life to almost every single human being in the world. Sometimes we do not know how to handle these problems and we just learn to live with them. He talks about abuse, lack of communication, rage, divorces, and family problems. The words that Thomas says at the end of the film, and the short story have very similar themes, specific about father and son issues, we will see which theme in special they both share.

A heavy part of the speculations fuses how Native Americans oversees alcohol manhandle and are penniless people. In the film "Smoke Signals" there happens to be more speculations that addresses the piece of Native Americans as overwhelming consumers, storytellers and into assuming that they are uneducated. Victor was stereotyped when he got in the incident and was caught and the officer pointed the finger at him for drinking, and Victor revealed to him he never had an enjoy his life. I think Victor was panicked to drink since he watched how his dad was the time when he was growing up. He might not want to end up being an intoxicated like his father

Another example of the ancient Native American spirit on the reservation was given early in the movie, just as Victor and Thomas are beginning their journey to Phoenix. We see the duo walking side by side down a dirt road, and soon a beat up "reservation car" pulls up beside them carrying two women. The reservation car is old and worn down, dust caking