The Approximate Size Of My Favorite Tumor Summary

While dying may not be all that easy, laughter can be the best medicine; humor may be comical and amusing for some but for Jimmy Many Horses, humor is a state of mind while he lives the last few months of his life while suffering from terminal illness. Sherman Alexie, demonstrates through his short-story The Approximate Size of My Favorite Tumor, that Jimmy exhibits dark humor to make sense of his terminal cancer, as well as coping with it. During the story Raymond, Simon and Jimmy all demonstrate through characterization the theme of life and death.

A man of a little less brain cells than the average man, Raymond, Jimmy’s second favorite cousin, is known to enjoy a few too many drinks and possibly not think too much before he speaks. The

reader may experience this of Raymond when he is in attendance at Jimmy and Norma’s wedding during the ceremony.

However, Raymond was experiencing a flashback during this time, he expresses to the officiant that, “I hate to interrupt, but my cousin is dead, you know? I think that might be a problem” (Alexie, 3). While, the guests and Jimmy may have found this amusing, it is ironic because he believes his cousin is dead, when really they are celebrating a marriage. Raymond though remembers being at a funeral and delivers what would be part of a eulogy, which is used to remember the good of someone after they die. It contributes to theme of life and death because while a wedding is meant to represent the beginning of a new life, Raymond’s character is currently remembering an event of the past that represents the death of a loved one. While Raymond is known to be drunk on the reserve, there is a character known by the name of Simon or as the guy who always drives backwards. Jimmy was hesitant to accept a ride down to the tavern with Simon even when he knew, “He always obeyed posted speed limits, traffic signals and signs, even minute

suggestions. But he drove in reverse, using the rearview mirror as his guide” (1). Simon religiously uses his rearview mirror to drive backwards even though he is always driving ahead; this is similar to what happens to Jimmy when he finds himself in a flashback. Jimmy uses his flashbacks of the past to reevaluate where he is going to head in life, similarly to how Simon uses his rearview mirror to drive. Although Jimmy knows that death is upon him, he refuses to let his past dwell on him but to use it to make a better future for himself while he is still living.
While Jimmy is a man of lightheartedness and humor, he also accepts that death one day will come.

However to make the truth easier to swallow for himself and others around him, he uses humor to comfort himself. He referred to himself to Norma as some of the greats of baseball, he tells other that he will “Make myself a new exhibit, you know? Pin my X-rays to my chest and point out the tumors. What a dedicated baseball fan! …”(2). Jimmy talks about his tumors like he does his favorite sport, while comparing the two they are very unalike. While baseball is seen as something positive it is being compared to terminal cancer, which is very negative, as well as ironic. This is a demonstration of how Jimmy is using dark humor to make sense of his illness, he explains that “Still, you have to realize that laughter saved Norma and me from pain, too. Humor was an antiseptic that cleaned the deepest of wounds” (4). It is important to the theme of life and death because while his illness will soon take its course, his treatment isn’t anything that a doctor can provide but

laughter.
While all of the characters do and say certain things to contribute to the theme, they are able to create the greater picture of what life and death means to Jimmy. Jimmy is faced with a terminal illness and all around him he must face the factors of whether he us going to live or die. While unfortunately he knows the day will come he decides that humor is the way in which he will deal with his life and death situation day by day.