Comparison Of This Is What It Means To Say Phoenix Arizona And Indian Education

Every author has something similar about their writings. Whether it is the tone of the story, or the setting. In Sherman Alexie’s writings he uses the same setting of an Indian reservation. It’s interesting to learn about another culture in many different ways. In Sherman Alexie’s stories, “This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix Arizona” and “Indian Education”, Alexie talks about how Indians adapt to certain situations. The short stories have setting and symbolism in common. Many people can relate to both of the stories by Sherman Alexie. They are situations that happen in every one’s life. The thing that most likely doesn’t happen in every one’s life is the symbolism and stereotyping of Indian culture. Three ways Alexie’s writing style pulls

In the story “This Is What It Means To Say Phoenix Arizona” the setting isn’t the same throughout the story. If a story takes place within the same setting throughout the whole story it will get boring quickly. Sherman Alexie has a way of making the setting crystal clear to imagine. He uses details such as location, smells and even what the temperature is like outside. One can imagine actually being there next to the characters. “The changing setting helps identify the symbolism of the ashes as a connection between past and present and as a tribal bond that Victor, in so many ways, is trying to run away from and refuses to accept” (Berglund1). In the story “Indian Education” the setting is different from one year to the next. Alexie attended the tribal school on the Spokane reservation through the seventh grade, then he decided to seek an education off the reservation. This experience is reflected in the setting change from the poor reservation where he was well known and treated well to being somewhere more affluent where no one knew him and treated him disrespectfully. Alexie draws the reader in by telling stories of what he went through in every grade. They may be short stories, but they are descriptive enough to catch the reader's

He uses symbolism in all of his short stories and encourages the reader to think outside the box about Indians and about the common stereotypes through symbolism. In the story, “This Is What It Means To Say Phoenix Arizona” Victor’s father passed away and Victor needs to go to the father’s house in Arizona to retrieve any valuables. Victor gets some money for his trip from the tribal council but not enough to make the trip. When Victor runs into Thomas at the trading post Thomas gives Victor his condolences. Victor asks Thomas how he knew and Thomas says, “I heard it on the wind, I heard it from the birds, I felt it in the sunlight. Also your mother was just in here crying.” This symbolizes how Indians are in touch with nature and the intangible. Thomas makes a joke about how he heard it from nature but really he knows because he saw the mother crying. So Victor tells Thomas about how he needs to get to Phoenix, Arizona but doesn’t have the money. Thomas offers Victor the money and asks to tag along. Victor accepts the money from Thomas and they go on a journey to Arizona to retrieve things from Victor’s father’s house. While they’re at Victor’s father’s house, Victor takes his father’s ashes and places them into one wooden box and one cardboard box. On the wooden box Victor places a cowboy hat which symbolizes that the Indians were cowboys, or at least acted like them. On the cardboard box