This Is What It Means To Say Phoenix Arizona Summary

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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 …show more content…

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

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