Alexie

The short story I will be assessing for today’s blog post is Sherman Alexie’s “This is What It Means to Say Phoenix Arizona”. Many themes stood out to me while reading this short story. However, the one I feel is most appropriate to address and to center the discussion around is the way Victor and Thomas act as foils for one another, which serves to help interpret the dynamic between dreams and reality. Dreams, whether they be actual dreams or hopes and aspirations, are mentioned many times throughout the story. One of the most applicable examples is when the narrator flashes back to the time Thomas Builds-The-Fire jumps off the roof. When he fell and broke his arm as a result, all of the other kids made fun of him, including Victor. The quote I will be using is "’He broke his wing, he broke his wing, he broke his wing’ all the Indian boys chanted as they ran off, flapping their wings, wishing they could fly, too. They hated Thomas for his courage, his brief moment as a bird. Everybody has dreams about flying. Thomas flew. One of his dreams came true for just a second, just enough to make it real” (Alexie 6). I find this quote to be an accurate depiction of not only Thomas’ character, but the contrast between Victor and Thomas as well. Indeed, the two seem to serve as literary foils for one another. This scene seemed rather metaphorical. I think Victor and Thomas need each other, as a dreamer needs a realist, and as dreams need reality. Thomas is an avid “story-teller”. Throughout his entire life, he has continuously told stories, “long after people had stopped listening”. This is rather exemplary of the idea that Thomas’ is a dreamer. It also implies that he tells these stories for himself. He claims his stories are all he has. Victor, on the other hand, is not a dreamer. He is a very rational person, evident by his response to Thomas’ intended use of his father’s ashes. He states he was going to do the same thing as Thomas, but he “thought it'd be like cleaning the attic or something. Like letting things go after they've stopped having any use.”(Alexie 8). Similarly, when Victor feels guilty about the “realization” that he couldn’t be Thomas’ friend, it states “The only real thing he shared with anybody was a bottle and broken dreams. He owed Thomas something, anything” (Alexie 7). I believe that’s why Victor’s father asked Thomas to look out for Victor, and that’s where “Take care of each other” comes from. Thomas needed reality in his life in the moment he jumped off of the roof, just as we all need to abide by the reality that is our own. To that end, Victor needs dreams and hope in his life now, especially after the passing of his father. Evidence of this contrast in the text that does not relate to dialogue includes quotes such as “Victor and Thomas made it back to the reservation just as the sun was rising. It was the beginning of a new day on earth, but the same old shit on the reservation” (Alexie 7). The way Thomas seemed to know everything Victor was thinking before he spoke also served as evidence that Victor needed Thomas, needed dreams in his life, just as we all do. This contrast serves to provide insight on the appropriate balance between dreams and reality. Though one might not exist without the other, dreams are what make reality worthwhile.

(P.S, I’m not sure why I’m stuck on analyzing contrasts, as I did in last week’s blog post. They just seem to be pop out).