Coulombe Summary/Application

SUMMARY
In his essay, Joseph Coulombe is arguing against critics of Sherman Alexie’s writings and the meanings of his texts, more specifically The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. Critics believe that Alexie is indeed a skillful writer, but he avoids trying to inform his white readers and almost makes his Indian readers feel ashamed of their culture. They also believe that Alexie just goes along with the clichés of Native Americans in his writings and make them susceptible figures to be laughed at. Coulombe disagrees entirely with critics for many reasons, mostly focusing on the element of humor used by Alexie and how he writes with a purpose. The humor that he uses in his short stories is seen by Coulombe as honesty; he exposes social awareness without being too serious. By writing in this way, Alexie helps his readers reassess what they may believe about certain stereotypes that they have been taught by society to believe. Though his readers may just prefer what is definite, he does not write in the way people expect which is what makes readers and critics uncomfortable. Coulombe points out that Alexie’s characters can be real people who have actual problems and that they sometimes use humor to hide from their own realities. Sometimes hiding from one event or problem brings out the importance of another. The humor Alexie uses in his characters aims for their independence. What Alexie has done in this collection of short stories is show how the world is realistically by creating real tribulations within his fictional characters. Coulombe argues that though this humor and these events may seem harsh to some people, Alexie tries to show what is important in a happy life. He also argues that Alexie does indeed write with a purpose and tries to show that all people are connected no matter what race we may be. He does this by saying humor is something that all humans have in common and can therefore relate to each other this way.

APPLICATION
In the essay “The Approximate Size of His Favorite Humor”, Coulombe tells us several reasons why he believes that Alexie uses humor in his book. A couple of the theories that I agree with are that humor is all that some of the characters have in common, and that a sense of humor helps them escape the trials and hardships that they have to deal with in their life. Not only that, but it makes the truth easier for them. By making fun of real things they go though, it helps give it the feeling that their problems really are not real. Throughout Alexie’s book many of the stories are sad, but in several of the stories you can find traces of the humor Coulombe discusses in his essay. He even points out a couple of the stories where he provides his own evidence for believing these things, but there are many more examples that could tie into Alexie and the element of humor.

In “A Drug Called Tradition”, a few of the boys on the reservation all decide to take this drug together. Though doing something like this seems like an activity many teenagers would experience, it is actually stated later in the book that all the kids on the reservation are born as adults. These kids really do have to grow up fast because many of their parents are alcoholics and the responsibilities they have are much greater than children their age should have to deal with. After taking the drug individually, they all start hallucinating different things and the other kids find the images that they see hilarious. By doing this, sitting around and joking with each other, it is one of the few chances they get to act their age and forget about the rest of the things happening in their lives. Another great example of the characters using humor in this manner is in the story “Amusements”. While Sadie and Victor must deal with the embarrassment of the very drunk Dirty Joe, they decide to do what they can to take themselves of out their lives for the moment and get a good a good laugh. While doing this they both “laughed until tears fell” and not only that but there was a “crowd [that] had gathered and joined in on the laughter” (Alexie 56). Though after laughing for a while, they realize the seriousness of the situation and find that they have to leave. Still, finding something that makes the characters laugh takes them out of their element for a while.

Another way that Coulombe says Alexie uses humor is to help the characters connect together; actually giving them something in common. This happens many times in different short stories, and Coulombe actually uses many examples from the story “The Approximate Size of his Favorite Tumor”. Coulombe states that “in this story more than any other, [Alexie] demonstrates the power of humor both to bring people together and to tear people apart” (Coulombe 98). This occurs in the story about Victor and his father and how Jimi Hendrix played a big part in his life. Victor talks about how his father and his grandfathers before him have all fought in a war and all he has is “video games” (Alexie 28). Throughout this story Victor just tells the readers about all the difference between him and his father and in this scene where they are in the car together laughing shows one of the rare times in his life that he and his father can connect by laughing over Victor’s statement. A way that humor tears the characters apart happens in “This is what is Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona” when Victor and Thomas are on the plane next to a woman named Cathy. They get to talking and for most of the flight “Cathy the gymnast complained about the government, how they screwed the 1980 Olympic team by boycotting” and Thomas replies trying to be funny by saying, “Sounds like you all got a lot in common with Indians” (Alexie 67). By actually telling the truth but trying to use humor, like Alexie does continuously, Thomas creates an awkward moment between the three of them and they stop talking. So overall, it is easy to see how Coulombe’s essay about Alexie’s humor does indeed connect the book to it and you can see the evidence of how the humor is used in many different ways.

Alexie, Sherman. The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven. New York: Grove Press, 2005.

Coulombe, Joseph. “The Approximate Size of His Favorite Humor: Sherman Alexie’s Comic Connections and Disconnections in The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven” American Indian Quarterly 26 (winter 2002) : p. 94-115. Project Muse. Ohio University Lib. Athens, OH.