The Lone Ranger And Tonto Fist Fight In Heaven Analysis

Sherman Alexie could possibly be the most realistic man on the planet. In his book, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven, Alexie uses short stories to paint a picture of his childhood growing up on an Indian reservation. Through a web of characters a saddening image is created with overriding themes of alcoholism, racism, distrust and failure. This image has become greatly controversial because of the stereotypical way it portrays the Spokane Indian tribe. Even though Alexie is himself a Spokane some may say that he was out of line in the depiction of his people; however, Alexie is simply a realist relaying information from his upbringing to the world. He tells not only of the bad but also of the good times on the reservation,

and his realism should not be checked simply because people find it upsetting.
Alexie spends much of the book focusing in on the little things, the little joys that one could find in daily life on the reservation.

These moments of pure happiness inspire hope in the hearts of his characters. The Indians are able to find peace for just an instant holding onto it in a beautiful way that allows them to forget the strains of their lives. This psychological phenomenon is exhibited constantly throughout the collection of stories but Victor best embodies it when he remembers his father. He changes “[T]he memories. Instead of remembering the bad things, remember what happened immediately before. That’s what I learned from my father.” (page 34). Instead of remembering how his dad left him when he was young he savors the memory of him when he was there. By being able to be thankful for the days with his father Victor can make life without him less painful. Alexie shows through Victor’s use of this coping mechanism of thankfulness that Reservation Indians are happier with the little they have than the spoiled people of the rest of our country. This idea is clearly a positive and shows that Alexie’s realism is not all just the racist, stereotypical garbage that many claim it is. Instead it has actual meaning behind it; it is simply an examination of the Native American’s lifestyle and world-view

today.
Unfortunately though, Alexie does often affirm the beliefs that he has racist views towards his own people through his interpretation of the Indian world-view. He is realistic about not only the small shimmers of hope on the reservation but also the terrible oppression and depression felt by his people. The most potent of his proofs of depression is the effect of alcoholism on reservations. Often alcoholism is the first stereotype that is associated with the modern Indian and therefore, many readers feel offended by the way he describes Indian alcoholism. The first story in the book jumps out with these supposedly offensive statements verbally assaulting the peoples of reservations with an anecdote that says, “When he was five years old, an old Indian man drowned in a mud puddle at the powwow. Just passed out and fell facedown…Even at five, Victor understood what that meant, how it defined nearly everything.” (page 7). Victor can see how this man and his drinking, which led to his untimely death, are an embodiment of everything he knows. Even at a young age. As a near autobiographical character, Victor is seeing things the way Alexie saw them at a young age. Though his view of the world may have been offensive it was only because his life, his existence was offensive. His people were offensive to the country they lived in. Victor and Alexie felt they were merely dark blemishes in the white world they live in. With this realization of Alexie’s feelings towards his life, towards what everyone on an Indian Reservation feels and knows, one cannot help but to feel sympathy for him. Though it seems like his unforgiving view would only hurt his downtrodden people, he must be allowed to express himself, because in actuality he gives them a long deserved voice.