Reservation Blues Research Paper

Maria Emily Butler October 26, 2012
Mr. Kryder Period 5
Reservation Blues

“Magic does exist; you just have to know where to find it.” Gifted Chain’s quote relates to the book Reservation Blues, by Sherman Alexie. Magic is obscured, laced into life in unexpected ways. The extraordinary appearance of Robert Johnson on the Spokane Reservation inspires Thomas Builds-The-Fire, an Indian, to form the band, Coyote Springs, with fellow band mates, Junior, Victor, Chess, and Checkers. Magic is woven throughout the book, hidden behind lies, dreams, and music. The magic has a considerable impact on the lives of the characters.
They always teach you not to lie; that lying is bad, but that may not always be the case. Lies are a form of magic in themselves. They can shade you from truths you’re not ready to face.
Sometimes they can push you to pursue your dreams. The-man-who-was-probably-Lakota frequently said, “The end of the world is near!” (11). Expressions such as, ‘live like you’re dying’ are used all the time. People sometimes lose sight of the fact that life isn’t guaranteed, but death is. You could die at any given moment and pushing that fact upon someone could motivate them to chase their goals. When the-man-who-was-probably-Lakota said this repeatedly, he indirectly influenced Thomas to start the band. Thomas seized the opportunity to do something with his life. Lies could also be used hide what you haven’t done with your life. In the movie Smoke Signals, Victor’s father told Suzie Song, a neighbor, the story of a basketball game. When he told the story, he changed the ending, “You mean your dad lied to me?” Suzie asked. “Yeah, in a lie that made me look good.” Victor replied. Victor’s father created a faux reality through his stories, to make up for the mistakes in his life. He boasted about Victor through lies in hopes of being perceived as a better father. Pathological liars fill their emptiness with the magic of lies. Native American tribes believed dreams to be a kind of magic.
They worshiped dreams, presuming they could reveal glimpses into future events. Their lives revolved around dreams, and it was expected of Indians to listen to them. Their dreams, however, didn’t always lead them into the expected great future. Sometimes the visions only opened an intricate future. Chess dreamed of white soldiers and Indians. “The Indians gasped as the unpainted Indian fell to the ground” (85). Indians, by nature sing songs, tell stories, and dance. They find joy in life and come to peace with nature. Junior, on the other hand, always felt lonely and hopeless. In the end of the book he takes his emptiness as far as death. His explanation for ending his own life was, “Because when I closed my eyes like Thomas, I didn’t see a damn thing” (290). Junior was an unpainted Indian. He lacked the spirit and life other Indians possessed. Other Indians in his tribe, such as Thomas, were painted with life. Chess’s dream foreshadowed the death of the unpainted Indian. The magic in her dream showed a glance at what couldn’t be shown any other
way. Music is an obvious form of magic; the notes and rhythms flow in perfect harmony. However, it runs much deeper than that. It has power to affect people emotionally. It can bring people of different backgrounds together. When Coyote Springs was formed, it only included Spokane Indians. In a gig at a bar Coyote Springs met two Flathead Indians, Chess and Checkers. Music brought Thomas and Chess to the same bar on the same night and they immediately clicked. Thomas said to Chess, “I want to play this song for that Indian woman standing right here in front of me” (58). Thomas used the power of music to bring Chess into his life. After some consult, they came to a decision; the Flathead Indians joined the band. As a band they traveled together, going through ups and downs as a family. The music brought Indians of two different tribes together, putting them on the same path.
Magic can influence who you are in many ways such as predicting your future, and changing the course of your life. Whether positive or negative, magic does not treat each person alike. Magic affects each person individually and differently. For some people magic comes naturally and finding it is an easy task, but for others their magic is buried deep in parts of life that they don’t want to face. Magic isn’t always as obvious as pulling a soft, white rabbit out of a black top hat. Sometimes you have to look deeper. Make no mistake magic is always there, it’s just waiting to be discovered.