The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie and Smoke Signals - Book Report/Review Example

The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie and Smoke Signals The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie provide an insight of the life experiences in contemporary Native America. This insight is outlined through various short stories that make up the book, and revolve around the experiences of the Spokane Indian reservation in Washington State. Sherman Alexie in the short story, “This is what it means to say Phoenix”, Arizona” and the movie “Smoke Signals” portrays an image of the real life led by Indians in the real life and work in a humorous manner, while trying to enlighten the reader against past held stereotypes of the Spokane identity. In both the story and the movie, the setting is in a reservation. The short story is narrated in the Spokane Indian reservation in the state of Washington, while the movie is on the Coeur D’Alene Indian reservation in Plummer, Idaho. Alexie (1993) in the short story tries to trace the traditional life of the modern Indians. He depicts them as individuals with double identity, who are not able to identify with their traditions or how to react to the various traditions. In addition, in both genres, the characters are not able to differentiate between what is more important and that which is less important. We experience the characters making fun of their past and the traditions they had. Also, we find them coming to terms with the fact that they are in a different time and age, and need to conform to the realities of the real life. However, there are instances where the characters have a melancholic feeling towards their past, driven by the fact that the Indians had a role and purpose. Things have changed and now, they no longer have anything. This is shown when they say that it is too late to act like warriors in the traditional way. Horses have become a thing of the past, and they have to contend with the modern realities of alcohol, survive the broken dreams, and contend with stereotypes. Characters portray the themes of ethnic identity, as well as transformation. They are quite aware of the existing stereotypes associated with their traditions, and the author succeeds in criticizing the stereotypical depiction of the Indian past. Thomas Builds-The –Fire makes a comparison of time with skeletons. The characters undergo anguish when the writer alludes to the past being a skeleton walking a step behind, while the future being a skeleton walking a step in front of an individual. Indians are confined in the “now,” but the skeletons remain free and can only be harmful if they are allowed. The story “This is what it means to say Phoenix, Arizona” narrates the journey of Victor and Thomas as they set out to recover the ashes and belongings of Victor’s dead father, Arnold. In the movie, all the actors interpret characters in Native American stories. Victor in the story was raised in a reservation, but ends up in a city, Seattle, where he makes travels often. The random journeys between the two varying environments create a stark difference to him. Victor says he at times thought he would forget his direction, and spends numerous hours trying to get any landmark that seemed familiar to him. In the movie, Victor and Thomas embark on a journey to retrieve the ashes and belongings of his dead father. In their quest, they do not lose their identity as Indians, despite their differing perspectives. Once in Phoenix, Victor tries to come to terms with his true identity and the real cause of the fire that killed Thomas’ parents using information provided by Suzie Song, a friend to victor’s father. In the story and movie, the two characters, Victor and Thomas, end up forgiving each other and Victor is able to better understand his cousin Thomas. In the story “This is what it means to say Phoenix, Arizona” Alexie depicts the stereotypes of Indians with irony and trickery. On the other hand, in the movie “Smoke Signals” the characters are depicted in a more relaxed fashion that the audience is able to infer that it is an inside job. While the movie attempts to combine the stories into one, Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven depict a series of distinct short narratives focusing on a single group of characters. In the narratives, Alexie (1993) tries to fictionalize how the characters strive to survive with a real life, unemployment, alcohol, and basketball. Thomas and Victor struggle with brutal life at the reservation and the alienating life in the city. However, in Smoke Signals Alexie and the director of the movie (Eyre) struggle to follow the conventional format of Hollywood movies. The book clearly portrays the brutality associated with life in the reservation, but the movie does not bring out this aspect. The reservation is filled with a life with a blurred and dull future, which is isolated. This is not the case in the movie. The movie is not able to depict effectively the brutal life experienced in the reservation. The film focuses on the story of Victor and Thomas. Victor is shown as the bright, handsome, unhappy, athletic, imaginative, and cynic son who was abandoned by the father. On the other hand, Thomas provides a stark contrast as he is talkative, sensitive, and intelligent. The two main adolescent characters provide a contrast of each other. Victor hates Thomas and even beats him for no apparent cause. Thomas lives in his own world and is in touch with his Indian traditions and culture. He is ready to change and offers to give Victor money for the journey to retrieve the ashes and belongings of Victor’s father. He is friendly and tells outrageous stories that make him an outcast in the reservation (Eyre, 1998). The story integrates a number of narratives that have different characters walking in and out of the stories, while others serve as props in the narratives. The movie is centered on the story “This is what it means to say Phoenix, Arizona” making it difficult for Eyre to bring out the core themes found in the book. The use of various stories helps to build up on the plot and creates a deep understanding of the core themes from the various stylistic devices used. Imagery, flashbacks, and dreams used in the book tremendously aid in understanding the plot. The movie is coupled by the pressure and complexity of commercial production, hence limiting the words of the characters. The book is able to achieve its objective of criticizing the stereotypical portrayal of Indians culture in a more relaxed and complete manner. References Alexie, S. (1993). The lone ranger and Tonto fistfight in haven. New York: Grove Press. Eyre, C. (Director), Estes, L., & Rosenfelt, S. M. (Producers). (1998). Smoke Signals [Motion picture]. United States: Miramax Films. Read More