Comparing The Lone Ranger And Tonto Fistfight In Heaven

The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven is a book written by Sherman Alexie a Native American fiction and poetry writer, who wrote a series of short stories about a man named Victor and his dreams and flashbacks. Sherman Alexie first began writing poetry, and created a book of poems called The Business of Fancydancing before writing his short stories on the post-modernism Native Americans. During the period of time when Alexie was writing poems and The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven he relied heavily on alcohol. Alexie did quit drinking which shifted his work from his focus on “drunks” to a more emotional and social style of writing. Alexie created a screenplay on the short story collection, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight

Although, many of the Native Americans in his stories struggle with alcohol. It was their coping method to cover up for the emptiness within their souls. People of Spokane struggle with adjusting to the modern lifestyle of the “white people” and many are living in poverty, without jobs, and using alcohol to cure there problems. In the short story Because My Father Always Said He Was the Only Indian Who Saw Jimi Hendrix Play “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Woodstock, Alexie wrote “A hundred years ago, a Indian marriage was broken easily. The woman or man just picked up all their possessions and left the tipi. There were no arguments, no discussions. Now, Indians fight their way to the end, holding on to the last good thing, because our whole lives have to do with survival (Alexie, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven).” Alexie would speak about the Native American character’s desire to be warriors in the context of his

For example, Crazy Horse is a heroic Native American, who fought against the White Americans until the very end to keep his tribes land. He showed bravery and strength when fighting for his Native American culture and land and is an idol to many Native Americans today (Holladay). Alexie wrote about Crazy Horse within his stories. Native American’s have it in their blood to be warriors, as many of their ancestors were warriors a hundred years ago when fighting the White Americans to keep their land. Even though Alexie wrote his book long after the war of land between the White Americans and the Native Americans, there was still war that these Native Americans were fighting. The war never finished between the Native Americans and White Americans because the White Americans continue to industrialize and modernize the United States. The Native Americans in this book are continuing the legacy of being warriors to keep their culture alive and live the lifestyles that their ancestors use to