Smoke Signals

Both of these stories have the same basic plot and story line but with different scenarios, different actions, different moods, etc. One seems to be more about the father, which they both include, but the other seems to be more about a friendship that was ruined for pointless reasoning. The stories are very similar but have many differences. “Smoke Signals” by Sherman Alexie is a movie about two Indian boys who basically grew up together. Thomas is a young man who lives with his grandmother because when he was just a baby his parents were killed in a house fire; a house fire we later find out that was caused by the other young man Victor’s father Arnold Joseph. Victor is a very mean and cold person, or so it seems. Victor is often very rude to his lifelong associate Thomas, who is always telling stories that he really doesn’t want to hear. Thomas tells stories about Victor’s dad, Arnold, to him, stories that he doesn’t like to hear because he has this image of hating his dad and not caring about him at all. Arnold is the main reason why Thomas is in fact alive but also why his parents are dead. He was a drunk, and under the influence of alcohol he set off a firecracker in Thomas’ house when he was just a little baby. Shortly after the house had caught fire Arnold realized the fact that there was a baby in there and he took off to save him (Thomas) along with his son as well. Thomas’ parents didn’t make it out of the fire but Victor and his family did. Victor loved his dad but his dad was a drunk, abusive father and husband, so he slowly but surely began to hate him. When his mother was finally tired of the drinking, Arnold fled and never went back. The movie is mostly about the boys going to where Victor’s dad had went because he passed away there, and they were to go get his ashes and a few belongings; in which he needed Thomas’ help to get there. There he discovered from his dad’s neighbor that his dad didn’t want to leave him, he loved them very

Cited: Smoke Signals. Dir. Chris Eyre. USA, 1998. Film. Alexie, Sherman. This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona. Backpack Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama and Writing. Fourth Edition. X.J. Kennedy, Dana Gioia. Pearson Education, Inc. New Jersey, 2006.