Setting Essay In Sherman Alexie’s “This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix‚ Arizona”‚ a young man named Victor finds out that his father has passed‚ but can’t afford to travel from Spokane to Phoenix‚ especially after the fact that he had just lost his job at the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The first setting in Spokane describes what Victor and other Indians go through on the reserve‚ this cultural aspect is actually interesting because nobody knows what others go through and how tough their lives
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themes in “This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix‚ Arizona” by Sherman Alexie‚ but the most salient theme is the acceptance of the current problems. In this story‚ Victor has a much pain because of his father’s death; however‚ he tries to go to Phoenix to bring his father’s ashes back home. Due to this scene‚ we can see how Victor can overcome grief and accept the fact that his father had passed away. Unfortunately‚ Victor‚ a strong man‚ does not have enough money to go to Phoenix. To oppose this problem
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Reservations. Alexie’s literary work shows the reality of how modern Native Americans faced poverty‚ alcoholism‚ and violence on and off the reservations. In addition‚ unlike many authors Alexie uses gallows humor to lighten the darkness in some of his stories. Most of Alexie’s stories do not deal with life on the reservations; most of his stories are life experiences that can influence readers to overcome situations in life. Alexie’s short story “This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix‚ Arizona” is a powerful
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Otherness in a nutshell is a feeling like one does not fit in for any number of reasons. Race‚ gender‚ sexuality‚ religion and appearance are just a few of the reasons. This is felt throughout life from childhood to adulthood. When you are in school it may be something as silly as your brand of shoes‚ you may not have the cool ones because your parents cannot afford them‚ so you get made fun of. Then here you are as an adult and it may be the car you drive or neighborhood you live in that
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Conflict Within Thyself Jermaine Kelly ENG 102 072 Prof. Messina Essay 1 October 2nd‚ 2007. 1 Sherman Alexie’s story‚ "This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix‚ Arizona"‚ states mainly how two Native Americans struggle to adapt to modern times and their culture‚ and the conflict they endured within their lifetime. The story focuses on two main characters that embark on a cross-country journey to retrieve a dead father’s ashes and belongings. Victor‚ one of the main characters in the story
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Tribal Ties Sherman Alexies short story “This is what it means to say Phoenix‚ Arizona” tells a story about Victor‚ a broken‚ lonely young Indian man‚ who is shaped by the circumstances of the reservation. He not only finds out that he lost his job but also that his father has passed away due to a heart attack. These series of unfortunate events lead Victor his childhood friend Thomas Build-the-Fire to embark on a journey to Arizona to obtain Victor’s father’s ashes. Although the two former friends
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In Sherman Alexie’s “This is what it means to say Phoenix‚ Arizona” a man named Victor finds out that his father has passed away. Being next of kin‚ Victor is responsible for gathering his father’s assets together‚ which requires him to make an out of town trip. In order to accomplish this Victor needs help. This help comes from the town outcast‚ Thomas Builds-the Fire. Victor and Thomas were childhood best friends but as they grew older‚ Victor turned his back on the one that always looked out
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In Sherman Alexie’s short story‚ “This is What it Means to Say Phoenix‚ Arizona”‚ we see a clear depiction of Otherness between the characters‚ Victor and Thomas-Builds-the-Fire. This story is about a boy named Victor‚ who recently lost his father to a heart-attack. Strapped for cash‚ he is forced to rely on the Tribal Council to fund the retrieval of his father’s remains in Phoenix. However‚ the council is unable to meet his request and due to financial constraints can only provide one hundred
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In the short story “This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix Arizona” written by Sherman Alexie‚ there is a character named Thomas Builds-the-Fire who is considered an outcast in his community. The story starts out with Victor who you would assume is facing some hard times losing his job and having his father pass away. After finding out about his father’s death‚ Victor has to go to Phoenix‚ Arizona to pick up his father’s ashes‚ pickup truck and money from his saving. Unfortunately‚ Victor doesn’t have
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The short story of “This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix‚ Arizona” by Sherman Alexie shows the value of a true friendship. A true friend is the one who doesn’t have to physically be by your side the whole time. He can stand aside‚ awaits for your trouble‚ and lends you a hand. A true friend doesn’t care how the world sees him‚ he cares only how his “best” friend view of him. The true friend in this story is Thomas Builds-the-Fire. The story goes back and forth with the present and the past to
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