Summary Of Sherman Alexie's A Drug Called Tradition

Thomas goes on to change his way of dressing, and even his hairstyle. The old Thomas wore his hair in two braids, and sported suits everyday. The new Thomas wears his hair unraveled so that is it appears to be long and flowing, like the typical “native american”. When they arrive back on the bus the two are bullied by two caucasian men who steal their seats. The two try and get back at the men by singing a song they casually made up in Native American style. When Thomas and Victor finally arrive in Arizona at Arnold’s trailer, they are greeted by his girlfriend. Once inside the home she presents them with Arnold’ s ashes. Victor becomes emotional and is ready to head back to the reservation. As he goes through his father’s belongings, something comes over Victor and he retaliates by cutting his hair. Victor and Thomas portray to be “American” in a sense. The two play sports, have typical family problems, and reference pop culture. However they also portray two indian stereotypes; the warrior and the shaman. Victor represents the warrior, and Thomas the shaman. Victor’s short temper and

When they returned back to the reservation, Victor knew that he still could not be seen talking to Thomas for fear of being ridiculed for talking to the crazy storyteller. “Victor knew that he couldn’t really be friends with Thomas, even after all that had happened. It was cruel but it was real.” (Alexie P. 518) Victor in a way was thankful for Thomas’ help but seemed too proud to admit it to Thomas. Victor knows that Thomas would remain the crazy storyteller. In a way Victor felt ashamed of himself.

Between leaving their home and arriving at the camp, the characters stay in horse stalls, implying that the characters are no better than livestock. Furthermore, horses appear as the characters are on the train, going to camp. The girl “pulled back the shade and looked out into the black Nevada night and saw a herd of wild of wild mustangs galloping across the desert” (45). The freedom of the wild horses conversely juxtaposes with how the characters are traveling to confinement. In addition, interactions between the boy and the girl reveal that horse meat is one of the staple foods in the camp. When the boy asks the girl where the meat comes from, she says that most of it comes from the wild mustangs being shot. The horses lose their freedom, much like the family lost

Thomas is a nerd in his reservation, wearing oversize glasses and telling everyone stories do not wants to hear. Thomas bring a very interesting flavor to the story. He tells many stories to the people, but most people ignore him, because most of his stories are made up. He sees Victor as a brother. Each time something happen between Thomas and Victor like a fight or an argument, Thomas would go back to him and talk to

Throughout the story Victor replays moments in his mind. Times when he and Thomas were best of friends. Times when he loved listening to Thomas' visions about life and stories with hidden lessons. Times when Thomas was there for him and even a time when Thomas helped to save his life. The good memories turn to visions of Victor turning his back on his best friend. Victor is faced with the reality of his cruel actions and choices. Of how he chose to go with the rest of the 'pack' and attack the 'weak' one. Victor recalls being drunk when he was fifteen and beating up Thomas for the fun of it. How all of the other boys on the reservation just stood and watched and how he may have continued beating Thomas

The long history between Native American and Europeans are a strained and bloody one. For the time of Columbus’s subsequent visits to the new world, native culture has

Victor Joseph’s portrayal of the classic Native American man is exemplified by Alexie’s use of dialogue, costumes, and flashbacks. For example, when Victor sees Thomas smiling as they ride their way to Arizona he says, “Indians ain’t supposed to smile like that. Get stoic” (Smoke Signals). This example of dialogue reveals how Victor believes a Native American man should present himself traditionally, which strongly contrasts with Thomas’s demeanor and appearance. Victor continues on, saying, “Look at your hair, it’s all braided up and stuff. You gotta free it. An Indian man ain’t nothing without his hair.” (Smoke Signals). Hair design is used to symbolize Victor’s close ties with his ancestral past as a Native American. Additionally, Victor’s comment on hair foreshadows when Victor himself cuts his hair, symbolizing a moment in which Victor embraces his traumatic past by accepting who he is as a person. In a more literal sense, flashbacks are also used to symbolize the trauma that Victor experienced in his direct past - living with an alcoholic father, Arnold Joseph, who abandoned him. However, by the end of the movie, Victor embraces this past through the spreading of his father’s ashes.

Thomas helps Victor by giving him his savings so that victor can go to Phoenix to claim his dead dad’s savings. “ He said I had to watch over you in return of him not telling anyone.” Thomas told Victor that once they were on their way to claim the money in the bank. Victor’s dad told Thomas to watch over victor

     While American Indians are well known for their use of psychedelic agents other cultures have also been known to use psychedelics, especially psilocybin. So-called “magic'; mushrooms also grow naturally in many parts of Europe and Asia. Norse tribesmen, for example, were believed to use Amanita muscaria or fly agaric mushrooms to bring on feelings of rage before going into battle. The same mushroom may have also been the inspiration to the founders of Hinduism. Preparations of datura, the agent found in jimson weed, are used in magic and witchcraft in many areas of the world, (Aaronson, 1970). More recently many artist, writers, and musicians have been known to use mescaline and psilocybin and other naturally occurring hallucinogens such as those found in morning glory seeds, and nutmeg, as well as synthesized hallucinogens like LSD. Because of their mind-expanding qualities, the high insight into reality that they seem to produce, as well as highly complex sensory experiences, some report receiving inspiration from such drugs.

Thomas is more of a nerd than Victor is. Thomas says whatever comes to his mind and this can test Victor’s patience. Thomas seems to have a hard time in social situations and frequently tells stories. Thomas would have dies as an enfant

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

Substance abuse is a topic most prefer not to discuss; it destroys lives, relationships and families all over the world. Native Americans seem to have suffered immensely by it. Since the coming of the Englishmen and the introduction of new knowledge and tools Native people have been trying to hold on to their own culture and their own way of life. Unfortunately with them came new items for consumption, alcohol was one of the main ingredients to the internal downfall of Native populations. Native American populations suffer greatly due to the ongoing epidemic of substance abuse and dependence; some things are being done about the problems people are having but in the end will it be enough to heal a nation? To open this paper I will look at

In Adam Barton’s film, The Stoned Ages (2011), researches the historical use of drugs and the institutional response upon the use of drugs by the masses. The Stoned Ages (2011) exposes an overwhelming discovery of drug use by people of ancient times and a connection of persistent patterns world-wide. Human beings have been in pursuit of expanding psychological capabilities from the beginning of human evolution (Barton, 2011). Social advancements depicted in The Stone Ages (2011), have derived from the use substances such as psychedelic mushrooms, during ancient rituals; permitting individuals to communicate with sacred Gods. Barton (2011) also discovers the use of drugs among Ancient Greek politicians as well, illustrating the wide use of drugs among people around the world and therefore theorizing the concept of drug use as an element of human behavior (Barton, 2011). According to Marc-Antoine Crocq’s (2007) research article summarizing the existence of drug use throughout the history of human-kind; “Schematically, psychoactive substances have been used (1) in religious ceremonies by priests; (ii) for medicinal purposes; or (iii) massively, as staple commodities, by large segments of the population in a socially approved way” (Crocq, 2007). Explained in Barton’s (2011) documentary however, the use of drugs had dire consequences caused by elitists’ hunger for power; Christians forbade the use of drugs with severe tactics of enforcement and lethally persecuting those who

Hallucinogenic mushrooms have been around for many years. The earliest recording of people using these mushrooms is from 7000 B.C. rock paintings in the Sahara desert (www.magicmushrooms.net). Psychedelic mushrooms were a revered tradition in native Central American cultures at the time of the European invasion, and have been in continuous use up to the present. Named teonanácatl ("flesh of the gods") in Nahuatl, they may have been employed for healing, divination and for intercession with spirits. Since the beginning of the Latin American colonial era, their use has been hidden due to persecution by the Christian church, which branded all native religious practices as "pagan"(wikipedia.org). According to the BBC(British Broadcasting Corporation), the first documented use of psychedelic mushrooms was in the Medical and Physical Journal: In 1799, a man who had been picking mushrooms for breakfast in London's Green Park included them(psychedelic mushrooms) in his harvest, accidentally sending his entire family on a trip. The doctor who treated them later described how the youngest child "was attacked with fits of immoderate laughter, nor could the threats of his father or mother

White people will run all over you if you don't look mean. You gotta look like a warrior,” but Thomas stayed reluctant to change and doesn’t fixate on behaving like an Indian should. By Emerson’s standards, Thomas constantly displays his “genius” by not being afraid to share his thoughts and staying true to himself throughout. In the film, Thomas goes on a journey with Victor to claim what remains of Victor’s father but Victor resented Thomas for telling stories of his father because the person that shows up in Thomas’s stories is different from how Victor recognized his