This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona Essay

21. How does Victor look to others, feel about himself, and behave toward his family when he arrives

This paragraph really portrays the beauty in Soto’s writing. The reader can relate to Victor’s experience and almost feel embarrassed for him because of similar experiences at school. Soto makes the reader feel like they ARE that character at that very moment, and that’s what makes his works so intriguing.

This quote was found at the very beginning of the novel. The feeling of hopelessness is all too common. All anyone can remember is their name, nothing about where they came from or where they belong. It is what bonds such different people together. It is significant as we know straight up that Thomas is able to feel so many emotions.

Victor: My mind was spinning. First of all, I couldn’t decide what I was going to talk about. I had never seen so many people in front of me before. I’m not much of a public speaker. Then all of a sudden, my history with teachers crossed my mind. I

This shows that Thomas has been protecting Victor for many years, and it helps Victor put this past experience in perspective, and realize how Thomas has always been looking out for him. Thomas has played a very big, and important role in Victor’s life, which is highlighted in this story that Victor recalled, where Thomas saved Victor from dying of bee stings when the two boys were younger. This story causes Victor to take a step back, and reevaluate how significant his relationship with Thomas actually is, instead of assuming that their relationship is insignificant. In addition, Thomas agrees to lend Victor the money to get to Phoenix, but when Victor explains how he feels that it would be wrong to use Thomas for his money because they are not friends anymore, Thomas quickly exclaims, “I didn’t say we were friends. I said you had to take me with you” (Alexie 62).

In highschool, Victor is athletic and a huge basketball player, while Thomas is awkward and quiet. Arnold’s truck is returned because he passed away. They must pick up the ashes in Phoenix, but they do not know how to get there. Victor’s mother cries, only having forty bucks. Thomas offers Victor some money in order for him to get to Phoenix. Victor declines, and Thomas insists as long as Victor takes Thomas as well. A flashback occurs again, of Victor and his dad, Arnold, in the car. Arnold explains how it is Independence Day, and how he wishes the white people would disappear and go back to where they came from. He clearly does not like the reservation, and says how the drunk Catholics will disappear as well, along with Arnold himself. They stop the car when they reach the house, and Arnold’s beer falls over. He immediately turns to Victor in blame and slaps him, revealing that Arnold was an abusive father and an alcoholic. This is possibly one of the effects of the house fire which occurred years ago. The scene goes back to present time, where both boys are at home. Victor’s mom asks him to promise to come back home after going to Phoenix. The

Money is a prime negative example that comes up in the short story. For instance, when Victor loses his job and finds out his father is dead in Phoenix, Arizona. Victor notifies the city council for money to retrieve his father, but only to find out about financial problems that the council is having. The very little money he does receive from the council isn’t even enough for a plane ticket. In contrast to the negative aspect, a positive aspect of money in a Native American culture is that they are able to get funds at all. In addition to Thomas, a negative affect he experienced from his culture was being the outsider of his own village. This is negative because he is clearly avoided and mistreated by everyone in the village, even by Victor. In other words, Thomas is not the ideal image of what a Native American should be and act like, he is more of an embarrassment. “Nobody talked to Thomas anymore because he told the same damn stories over and over again” (Line 19-20), this quote shows and example of how his own people thought about

“ This is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona.” Alexie’s background influences the type of characters that are in the story because he grew up on an Indian Reservation in Wellpinit, Washington (272). First of all, the flashbacks in the story gives the reader an insight of Victor’s and Thomas’s childhood bond. We all understand that if we develop friendships, they aren’t always going to be perfect.

Victor, a character from “This Is What It Means To Say Phoenix, Arizona”, has to travel back home to pick up his father's ashes. Victor had lost his job and has no money to go across the country. Later in the story Victor sees Thomas Builds-the-Fire who offers to help him. Thomas Builds-the-Fire was Victor's childhood best friend. It is not only Victor's father's ashes, but also the ashes of Victor's own life, which Victor seems ready to grasp by the end of the story. Throughout the story, Victor will come to realize that there is more meaning to life.This story embodies a journey that takes place on the plane, the stop at Victor’s father’s home, and the road trip back to the reservation.

The first reason was for Thomas to get in touch with his Native American heritage. By having Vince travel with someone at spiritual, in touch with their heritage as Thomas was used as Way for Vince to rediscover his own Native American culture and discover his identity. And sample of a similar situation in Alexie’s own love is when he read some literature that was written by an American writer, before this he was unaware that there were any new American authors so he found a part of his culture in their literature(Nygren interview, 297,1 ). Also, when Thomas and Vince travel to pick up the remains of his father, Thomas help Vince through a very painful experience. Having someone’s help in a difficult time in one’s life can make a difficult experience and’s exceptionally easier. Alexie stated that a lot of Native Americans are still dealing with the painful heritage of how their people were brutally murdered when the west was being colonized. Alexie refers to this as “blood memory” saying that it was incredibly difficult for an individual to find their identity when their culture has such a tragedy attached to it (Nygren interview 299).Vince had to overcome the tragedy of his father’s death, used Thomas as support to overcome this tragedy can be related to the struggle of native American to overcome the tragic fate of their ancestors. The final reason that Alexie

The character Thomas from “This Is What It Means To say Phoenix, Arizona,” uses his stories, money, and his knowledge to try understand how his friend Victor feels about his father’s death. Thomas tries to help Victor though this emotional time in his life. Through the evidence in the text it shows that Thomas is a caring and kind person to help his friend Victor get to Phoenix, Arizona for his father’s death. Thomas agree to lend money to his friend Victor to get to Phoenix, Arizona to get what his father left him after his death. Thomas only want in return is to go with him to tell his stories and help Victor though his emotional time in his life.

He does this with the use of storytelling. Thomas is known for his stories which are engraved in his listeners memory because he repeats them. Those stories hung in your clothes and hair like smoke. Victor and Junior often tried to beat those stories out of Thomas, tied him down and taped his mouth shut.

The story “This is what is means to say Phoenix, Arizona,” by Sherman Alexie, focuses on societal problems experienced by the indian ethnic group.

Victor’s needs changed because as he grew in life he found love and belonging with his wife and his job. He built esteem by raising a successful son. Towards the end of his career he began to look back on his life and question the events that lead him down this path in life.

But then something surprising happened. One night, Vic was right at the edge of their town, and the next he was East. Sure enough, Vic didn’t have any of attentions of stopping to chat, not right then anyway. After traveling all of the west coast, Vic was making his way to the East. The anxiousness ate his family alive, although they were glad that he was safe. They weren’t as worried this time, considering they endured nearly