Rebirth: “This is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona”
Life is not always what we expect it to be. The way in which we address our circumstances and how we allow our circumstances to affect us can sometimes dictate our life. In the story” This is What It Means to say Phoenix, Arizona,” we are presented the opportunity to view the life of two vital characters, Victor and Thomas Builds-the-Fire. The author, Sherman Alexie has used for his advantage the elements of literature to bring the reader to relate to the story emotionally, for example, symbols, Character development, setting, and figurative speech. The author believes that Victor’s journey to Phoenix, Arizona, to retrieve his deceased father’s remains will guide him through his struggles
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of finding his true identity and aided him in rising above his circumstances. As a result, Victor would become a better individual who was reflective and also a conscientious member within a family and tribe. Let’s begin by exploring the title to the story and what it represents. The first thing you may noticed about the title to the story “This is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona” is that it’s pervade with symbols; for instance, “This”– Signifies the journey Victor was on to Arizona; “Phoenix” – this reminds me of the story of the Phoenix bird that has risen from the ash; which is a representation of Victor rising from his situation of being confused and frustrated of his life on the reservation. “Arizona,” on the other hand, reminds me of the state; It is deserted and lonely; which may be a representation of Victor’s life, which appears empty “The only real thing he shared with anybody was a bottle and broken dreams” (Alexie, "This is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona 255). On their journey through Nevada, Thomas and Victor were amazed at that lack of animal life, at the lack of water, and of movements. The jackrabbit that committed suicide because it was lonely is a representation of Victor’s father. The author has made several implications in the story that his dad died alone and was not found for a week later. “He died of heart attack in his trailer, and nobody found him for a week. Victor's father had laid in that trailer for a week in hundred-degree temperature before anyone found him” (Alexie, "This is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona 247 & 251). He further uses symbols to describe the character’s name and character development. In addition to the use of symbolism, Sherman did a superb job describing the characters and character development to get the readers engage in the story and acquire a sense of emotion.
In the story, Victor is depicted as a flat character and Thomas Builds-the-Fire as a round character who both grew up on the reservation. Victor is a young man who was abandoned by his father from the age of eleven. He is presented as a modern Indian, a man who has lost faith in himself and everything about Indian tradition. Even though Thomas thought “it’s strange that Indians celebrate the Fourth of July, which was not a part of the Indian tradition (“It is not like it was our independence everybody was fighting for.”) Victor, on the other hand, thought it was just supposed to be for fun (Alexie, "This is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona 249). During this time, Victor struggles to find his true identity and the understanding of the tribal culture “What happen to the tribal ties, the sense of community?” (Alexie, "This is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona 255). Victor’s name depicts victory; which led to the author’s insinuation that from Victor’s journey to Arizona, he will find himself, rise from his pain and struggles, and become a young man who was
reborn. Thomas Builds-the-Fire, on the other hand, was a round character who was presented as a true representative of the Indian tradition and culture (poverty, alcoholism, and disillusionment). There were several implications of such poverty within the reservation; for instance, “Victor's mother was just as poor as he was, you know there is nobody around with that kind of money” (Alexie, "This is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona 247). His name (Builds-the-Fire) is also a symbol of the Indian culture and the fire that was literally going to be under Victor. Even though Victor was embarrassed to be seen talking to Thomas, when he felt a need for tradition he was the one he spoke to. Thomas lost his parents at a young age and all he had was his stories, he thought they were going to be the ones that would change or not change the world; therefore, he did not see the need to change who he is or believed in. As a matter of fact, he is going to be Victor's savior as always, the one who help him to see things positively and embrace his changes. His dream is to take care of each other, and he has made a deal with Victor’s dad to always watch out for him (Alexie, "This is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona 253).Victor was always open to embrace changes while Thomas continues to embrace tradition. “Thomas will remain the crazy storyteller…” (Alexie, "This is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona 255). In order to assist Victor through his struggles and to rise from his circumstances, the story took place in multiple settings. The setting primarily took place in summer. On the journey to Arizona: from the reservation, on the plane, the stop at Victor’s dad’s trailer, and on the road trip back to the reservation. During this trip Victor learn a lot about his father, his tradition, and how connected he and Thomas Builds-the-Fire are. Life had presented Victor with some challenging circumstances that left him discouraged and confused, for instance, losing his job and the death of his father. He had no money and he was in a conflict with the tribal council for help. Victor tried hard to create a plan but then realized his approach was not working, and this made him aggravated. His frustration led him to accepting Thomas’s help. On the plane they met Cathy, the Olympic gymnast, Thomas thought Cathy’s experienced with the government was similar to that of the Indian’s. Victor acknowledges his culture when he was asked by Cathy if they were Indians “full- blood” (Alexie, "This is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona 251). Thomas continues to flirt with her and Victor was surprised that she actually likes him. Victor’s growing respect for Thomas become obvious, when he apologizes for the childhood beating. At his dad’s trailer, Victor search for valuables that would help him understand who he is and his culture “I am looking for valuables, for example, pictures and letters” (Alexie, "This is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona 252) They also had several flashbacks that reminds Victor of who he was and the connection he and Thomas once shared. After they return to the reservation, Victor made a promise to stop by and listen to one of Thomas’s story. Victor finally found what he was looking for his entire life; to be treated fairly. In conclusion, the author uses several elements of literature, for instance, symbolism, character development, and settings, which helps the story to personify the difficulties the characters’ face. Thomas Builds-the-Fire was of major significance in helping Victor through his transition and rise above his circumstances. I can see how the story relates to the twenty-first century. Several people today, are still confused about who they are and the significance of their culture. Furthermore, people are at the same time judged base on their position in life. It is often said that the friends you keep reflect who you are. However, occasionally the people who we reject or discard will be the ones to help us rise above our circumstances through some of our darkest moments in life.
Sherman Alexie, author of “This is what it means to say Phoenix, Arizona” has shared her fruitful ideas about the true meaning of friendship. Victor, the core person of the story faced many issues. He is a young individual, having an Indian origin. He is aware of his Dad who died in Phoenix. Victor planned for Phoenix, for closing his Dad’s account and picking up his ashes, but due to being jobless, he felt short of finances to travel to Phoenix. Thomas is another important character of the story. Both Victor and Thomas were a good companions in their childhood. Thomas was famous for telling tales, but since he kept on repeating the same tales, people were not
In an interview with Sherman Alexie, Alexie states that, "The smoke that originates from the first fire in the movie is what causes these events, and the smoke from the second fire brings about the beginning of resolution." The first fire is the tragic house fire and the second fire is a fire that the healing figure of the movie starts in order to burn down the trailer Arnold Joseph lived in. The trailer's fire symbolizes letting go of all the pain Arnold Joseph caused in the world. It helps show that Victor is slowly letting go of the pain his father caused which in turn means the fire that burns within him is starting to smolder as
In the film Smoke Signals, the director Chris Eyre shows the audience how story telling played an essential role in Native American culture. Throughout the movie, Thomas is always telling stories with passion and humor, which Victor hates due to the fact that most of the stories were good memories with Thomas and Victors father. Being that Victor and his mom were abused and abandoned by their father when Victor was young, therefore he had mixed feelings about his father. However, the movie would not have been the same without the story telling of Thomas. In This is What It
In “This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix Arizona”, Victor has become psychologically troubled because he has put his own traditions behind. Throughout the story, the readers find out that Victor has an internal conflict due to the unhealthy relationships in his life. His father abandons him at a very young age, which causes Victor’s loss of guidance and self-identity. The day that Victor’s father abandons his family, Victor gets “really drunk and beat[s] Thomas up for no apparent reason at all”(276). If no one would have stopped Victor, Thomas-build-the-fire would have died which clearly shows the readers that Victor is mentally troubled. Not only does he lose his father but, Victor also loses his best friend on that same day. In other words, Victor is mentally traumatized after the abandonment. In fact, Rothe Eugenio, a professor in the department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health at Florida Inter...
In life, everyone experiences a time of hardship, and for the most part, those affected find methods of overcoming the adversity. The idea of getting through hardship is best reflected in; Sherman J. Alexie’s story “This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona” (274). In the story, victor whose father had recently died from a heart attack has to travel to phoenix Arizona to reclaim his father’s ashes and his truck. Victor is joined by his former childhood friend “Thomas Builds-the-fire”, who finances the trip to phoenix since Victor did not have the means. They drove back truck from phoenix to the reservation. Throughout the trip, Thomas is always telling stories mostly reminiscing about their childhood. It is through Thomas stories that we learn much about Victor’s father. Through the use of symbolism, and character development, Alexie conveys the idea that, when someone is experiencing an adversity, reconnecting and embracing the past may lead to a discovery of a brighter future.
Thomas Builds-the-Fire’s identity is a storyteller, but inside meaning of storyteller Thomas represents the traditional character who reminisce the past and lost traditions. Thomas’s name describes that he is born to be a storyteller because while building the fire people usually talk about old stories from the past, but people from the past believed the storytellers when they talk about the future or what people can do. Thomas thought of crazy things for telling his endless stories,
In “This Is What It Means To Say Phoenix, Arizona,” Alexie creates a story that captures the common stereotypes of Native Americans. For instance, in the story the narrator states, “Who does have money on a reservation, except the cigarette and fireworks salespeople?” (Alexie). This quotation shows that the narrator addresses the idea that all Native Americans must own businesses that sell fireworks and/ or cigarettes in order to be successful. In this example, Victor is shown to not identify with the Native Americans because he does not pursue the same job opportunities as many Native Americans do. Victor's character is used as a contrast to the stereotypes that , there he represents reality. Another instance in which the author incorporates a stereotype about Native Americans is when Thomas-Builds-the-Fire first makes conversation with Victor. Thomas-Builds-the-Fire informs Victor about the news of Victor's ...
Victor knew he was a Native American that lived on the reservation. However, as he has grown up, it seems he has forgotten the tribal ties of the Native Americans. The people of that culture consider everyone in the tribe to be family and they are not ashamed of who they are and where they come from. Towards the end of the fictional narrative it is said, “Victor was ashamed of himself. Whatever happened to the tribal ties, the sense of community? The only real thing he shared with anybody was a bottle and broken dreams. He owed Thomas something, anything” (519). At the end of the story, Victor has finally realize that he is acting self absorbed. He realizes that this is not who he wants to be and he should not be ashamed to talk to Thomas Builds-a-Fire. Remembering his tribal ties, Victor gives half of his father 's ashes to Thomas. By doing that, Victor is thanking Thomas in his own way. Victor said, “listen, and handed Thomas the cardboard box which contained half of his father. “I want you to have this” (519). Individuals on the reservation thought Thomas was just a madman with weird stories. But in reality he was always true to his tribal identity and has even taught Victor how to get back to that. For example Thomas says, “I’m going to travel to Spokane Falls one last time and toss these ashes into the water. And your father will rise like a salmon, leap over the bridge, over me, and find his way
Faulkner’s use of fire signified the father figure’s deceitful ways and the ultimate deconstruction of each father’s presence in society.
People around the city went to bed, everything seemed relatively normal. Smoke dwindling into the dark night sky, the faint smell of burning wood. All normal for Chicago. Fires were a daily part of life for this wooden city. Near the time of 2 a.m. the fire didn’t seem so normal and average anymore. A mean flame was being born, it was blazing to life.
In the story “Indian Education,” Victor highlights vital events in each grade level throughout his education from elementary to high school. During the first grade, Victor was a passive child who was the target of insults and injury. He elaborates, “my Indian name was Junior Falls Down. Sometimes it was Bloody Nose or Steal-His-Lunch.” But eventually, “the little warrior in me roared to life” and “knocked Frenchy to the ground” marking the first time he stood up for himself. As time went on, he faced the same pushback from teachers. On one occasion, a teacher gave him spelling test designed for older students and made him eat the test after answering correctly. The following year was measurable as well. When in the fourth grade, Mr. Schluter encourages him to become a doctor to give back to the community. However, his father begins to drink every day, and, consequently, his family drifts further apart. Then Victor played basketball for the first time, and he loved it despite missing the shot. At the same time, he states, “my cousin Steven Ford sniffed rubber cement” pointing out the choices his peers made. Then he met his first best friend, Randy, who unlike himself, came from outside reservation giving him an insight into the white world. At the time of his first kiss, Victor decides to leave as he describes, “I was saying good-bye to my tribe, to all the Indian girls and women I might have loved, to all the Indian men who might have called me cousin, even brother.” As a result, members of his tribe refused to speak to him after he left. Unfortunately, he and his mother did not have much money for necessities. Alexie recalls going home to his mother who stood in line for food. He conveys, “We carried them home, happy to have food…” implying not having enough food to eat every day. During a high school dance, Alexie blacks out due to his health. Immediately, teachers chalk it up to alcoholism because
The short story “To Build a Fire” by Jack London is a comprehensive story that tackles the struggles of a newcomer trying to survive a day in the Yukon with very harsh and cold weather. The man travels with a big native husky and tries many times to build a fire but fails due to his inadequate personality. The man repeatedly lets his ignorance and arrogance dictate his decisions which soon leads to his demise. The theme of the short story “To Build a Fire” by Jack London is that being ignorant, arrogant and foolish can lead to bad decisions.
To Build a Fire is a remarkable account of one man’s finish line. In it this story holds quite a few rather important morals. There is as well a very important theme. The theme most referred to is that of the power of nature. The force that it can display on earth is immense and cannot be duplicated or overpowered by humans. However one man decided he would be the one prove this axiom wrong. One man became totally confident that he can and will withstand the awesome mighty strength of nature.
The story To Build a Fire is set on a cold winter's day on a wilderness trail along the Yukon river. A man is traveling along this trail in the frigid weather in order to go to a camp where some friends of his were waiting for him. The cold weather in this story creates obstacles for the man to overcome, or in some cases, obstacles that are not physically possible for him to overcome. The setting impacts the story as a whole in a few different ways.
In The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway uses irony and symbolism to illustrate how a group of Americans and English expatriates lived life. They try to forget the war and restore a sense of meaning to their lives, which he would have liked to do. Hemingway’s attitudes are expressed in the book, including his idea of, “emphasize the optimistic idea of progress of life’s cycle.”