Sherman Alexie A Native American Writer Essay - 1195 Words

Sherman Alexie has made a name for himself as a prolific contemporary Native American writer, taking inspiration from his own past and experiences with modern Indian life. While there are many enduring themes throughout Alexies writings: Native identity, modern reservation life, alcohol abuse etc. when it comes to his collection War Dances, the most apparent motif is fatherhood. Community and family are the heart of Native American cultures, with the father archetype holding great honor and expectation. However with alcohol abuse, poverty, and school drop rates running rampant through Native American reservations it is no surprise that more and more Native children are growing up in broken homes. In an alarming poll by the Kids Count Data†¦show more content†¦It is most clearly defined in the short story â€Å"War Dances†, for which the collection is named. Through â€Å"War Dances† Alexie not only reflects on his own experiences, but uses them as a vessel to e xpose the decay of the ideology of fatherhood plaguing Native communities all over the country. In an informative interview journalist Billy Moyers asks Alexie if his writing is cathartic; in which he replies â€Å"I think it can be healing for readers...but my own words for myself I dont think so.† (Moyers Company). In his works Alexie explores deep wounds not for healing, but as a means to sacrifice himself and foray the absolutism of the white man. In a new warrior fashion he uses the power of story to his advantage. â€Å"War Dances† maybe the most blatant example as it touches many personal aspects especially Alexies struggle with illness and of course the relationship with his father. While this story may not be curative for Alexie it is most definitely a meditation. The story covers the course of life, from birth to death (Russell). The narrator is suddenly stricken with a disease that harkens back to an illness diagnosed at birth. This rings true to Alexie, he has dealt with illness his entire life. As an infant he was diagnosed as hydrocephalus, the same disease the narrator had suffered in youth. When reading this piece you can hear Alexies voice exploring a life riddled with sickness. â€Å"I was worried I had a brain tumor. Or that myShow MoreRelatedSherman Alexie s Without Reservation980 Words   |  4 PagesWhen it comes to the topic of Native Americans and tradition most will agree that Sherman Alexie is not the typical Indian writer and that he has in effect isolated himself. Jess Row in his article â€Å"Without Reservation†, depicts Sherman Alexie as a storyteller that uses non developing dark humor which in turn portrays his theme among each short story in Blasphemy. I agree with Row’s argument that Alexie maintains a sense of humor throughout his writings but that it develops prematurely. I also believeRead MoreSherman Alexie s Childhood And Education1896 Words   |  8 PagesSherman Alexie’s childhoo d and education have had a profound effect on his writing and career. Being a Native American growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation, Alexie has had to fight stereotypes and certain negative influences such as alcoholism and poverty his entire life. The reader can gain a better understanding of Alexie’s struggles and negative influences in his life through one of his poems, â€Å"Influences†, where he discusses the negative influences he faced with alcohol from his ownRead MoreThe Absolutely True Diary Of A Part Time Indian, By Sherman Alexie1391 Words   |  6 PagesMatthew Murphy Nyquist English-5 30 April 2015 Reservations or Restrictions According to 2010 US Census projections, 22% of our nation’s 5.2 million Native Americans live on reservations or tribal land. This may not seem to be an alarming statistic to most people. However, upon further examination of the living conditions, education, and life-altering effects that go along with living on an Indian reservation, this statistic may appear slightly more alarming. The effects of growing up on a reservationRead MoreCrow Testament Analysis1627 Words   |  7 PagesA Crow’s Testament of Accepting Fate As seen throughout Sherman Alexie’s work, despair and hardship caused by European influences among Native peoples is a common issue that seems to be a reoccurring element in his work. Through the use of figurative language, Alexie is able to transcribe those issues onto paper by using metaphors and illusions to describe emotions conveyed by the Native peoples. Sherman Alexie is a Native American writer that is influenced by his experiences while growing up onRead MoreAlcoholism: An Enemy of the Abandon Essay1034 Words   |  5 Pageslives. For instance, Sherman Alexie, a Native American writer, experiences many sorrows from alcohol. He writes about the sufferings he experienced in his fiction novel, â€Å"The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian† and talks about the struggle in his interviews. In addition to Alexie’s stories, Diane Sawyer, a reporter, investigates a Native American tribe and discovers that alcohol abuse is common in the reservation. Alco holism is portray as an enemy to Native Americans; however, alcohol becomesRead MoreSummary Of The Joy Of Reading And Writing By Sherman Alexie957 Words   |  4 PagesProsperity: For A Native American Sherman Alexie the author of the essay The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me was born and raised on a Spokane Indian Reservation. Growing up his family did not have a lot of money, yet today Alexie is known as one of the most prominent Native American writers. Alexie reminisces on his childhood when he first taught himself how to read. In the essay The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me Sherman Alexie suggests, that for Native Americans reading isRead MoreAnalysis Of Sherman Alexie s Lone Ranger And Tonto Fistfight Heaven 1598 Words   |  7 Pagesfiction, or anything related to such topics. Consequently, most books read in popular culture have a lesson; novels are a form of education. An example of this has been shown through Sherman Alexie’s Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. In this novel, he attempts to shed light on the struggles Native American people, specifically on the Spokane Reservation, withstand through multiple stories and perspecti ves. Some novels, if their perspective of truth has not been taken into account, stillRead MoreOmniscient Point of View in â€Å"This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona2086 Words   |  9 PagesMeans to Say Phoenix, Arizona† The story â€Å"This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona† by Sherman Alexie is a fictional narrative that reflects his experiences during his past and present life. The author allows the audience to become the social media that critiques his life when he evokes important episodes of his life through Victor and Thomas Builds-the-Fire liveliness. In this process, Sherman Alexis uses his omniscient point of view to tell his readers about the actions of his character;Read MoreAnalysis Of Sherman Alexie s Lone Ranger And Tonto Fistfight Heaven 1534 Words   |  7 Pageshistorical fiction, or anything related to such topics. However, most books read in popular culture have a lesson; novels are a form of education. An example of this can be shown through Sherman Alexie’s Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. In this novel, he attempts to shed light of the struggles Native American people, specifically on the Spokane Reservation, withstand through multiple st ories and perspectives. Some novels, if their perspective of truth is not taken into account, still affectRead MoreThe Most Wonderful Books : Writers On Discovering The Pleasures Of Reading1153 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Superman and Me† by Sherman Alexie first appeared in â€Å"The Most Wonderful Books: Writers on Discovering the pleasures of Reading.† Sherman Alexie is a well-known Native American writer that publishes short stories, novels, and poetry. Out of the three narratives, I found myself connect with this story more than the others. Alexie tells us about his childhood as an Indian boy that grew up on the Reservation. His father was a big reader so as a kid he’s always had an interest in books and eventually