Humor and Colonization

<1>Frank Ross asked Alexie about the political nature of his writing, quoting him as saying he does not like to beat readers over the head with it. Alexie replied: “I like to make them laugh first, then beat them over the head . . . when they are defenseless.” Describe some examples from the stories that demonstrate this tactic. Choose one example to focus on and explain how the humor and political point work together as in the above quote.

Throughout Sherman Alexie's short stories, there is a lot of edge through them because of the honesty of the situations that is told about Victor and his life. There is much humor in them as well, but it is almost just as a comic relief through all of the hard issues that are told about Victor's life. In Alexie's "A Drug Called Tradition", the tactic described above is used very much in that story. It starts off with a more optimistic feeling as the boys are hanging out and laughing with each other. This happens a lot through the story as well: mostly when the boys have taken the drug and are all hallucinating and finding it entertaining. Even though there is comedy in this short story, there is a lesson and more serious attributes to it as well. For example: "There are things you should learn. Your past is a skeleton walking one step behind you, and your future is a skeleton walking one step in front of you" (21). So in this story Alexie uses the tactic of starting out with humor, but afterwards making sure the message is still burnt into our brains.

<2> On whiteness, Indian identity and colonialism, Alexie says, “What is colonialism but the breeding out of existence of the colonized? The most dangerous thing for Indians, then, now and forever is that we love our colonizers. And we do.” He goes on to say, and I paraphrase, that Indian identity now is mostly a matter of cultural difference; that culture is received knowledge, because the authentic practitioners are gone. The culture is all adopted culture, not innate. Colonization is complete. Think about how what he is discussing plays out in his stories. Choose one (a different one than for the first question) and discuss how a story represents the characters' relationship to the tribe's past and to the colonizing culture.

SHerman Alexie's short story titled "This is what it means to say Phoenix, Arizona" helps show the readers how Native Americans have colonized into the American culture. Victor's father has died in the story and he must drive back to Phoenix to cremate his father and settle his affairs. In order to do so he must borrow money from the Trading Post to find a way to get back there. Since the Trading Post could not give him much money, he goes with his old friend Thomas because he can help him. This whole situation just shows how life was interrupted for Victor, and he drives home just to take care of his father and has to drive back to continue on with his life. There is no time for mourning or having a huge ceremony for him, Victor must just continue on with his life. In the Native American culture families usually mourn over lost members for a long time and because of the way he is living in society now.