This Is What It Means To Say Phoenix, Arizona By Sherman...

Bethany Furtado Professor Charbonneau Hess English 102 24 October 2017 Thomas Builds-the-Fire In the story, â€Å"This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona† by Sherman Alexie the two main characters are Victor and Thomas Builds-the-Fire. The story is about Victor and Thomas who are childhood best friends that went on a trip from their reservation to Phoenix, Arizona to collect Victor father’s savings account. Throughout the trip, they experience many flashbacks of when they were friends such as when Victor stepped into a wasp nest. The character I choose to analyze is Thomas Builds-the-Fire. Thomas Builds-the-Fire is a storyteller. Even though the Native American culture is dying, Thomas Builds-the-Fire still values the culture and helps†¦show more content†¦Victor thought that Thomas might be able to help him because â€Å"Victor felt a sudden need for tradition† (78). This quote means that after Victor’s fathers died he wanted to feel like he belongs to the tribal community and traditions. Thomas offers to lend Victor the money on th e condition that he accompany Victor to Phoenix, Arizona. On the trip to Phoenix, Arizona Victor and Thomas experience many flashbacks of when they were younger. One of the flashbacks happens on Fourth of July when Thomas proves his Native American culture by questioning why they celebrate Fourth of July if it is not about their own independence. â€Å"It’s strange how us Indians celebrate the Fourth of July. It ain’t like it was our independence everyone was so fighting for† (79). This quote means why bother celebrating if the Indians aren’t apart of the U.S. Thomas Builds-the Fire values his Native American culture by being a spiritual person. He has prophetic vision and dreams of the future. Thomas Builds-the-Fire tells Victor stories about his father on the trip to Phoenix, Arizona. One of Thomas vision is he predict that Victor father’s going to leave before anyone knew what was going to happen. â€Å"Your father’s heart is weak. He is afraid of his own family. He is afraid of you. Late at night he sits in the dark. Watches the television until there’s nothing but that white noise. Sometimes he feels like he wants to buy a motorcycle and ride away. He wants to run and hide. He doesn’t want to beShow MoreRelatedThis Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona by Sherman Alexie1632 Words   |  7 Pages Benjamin Franklin once said that â€Å"Nothing is certain in life except death...and taxes† (Waliwensky). This phrase has rung in the ears of Americans for many, many years. The phrase has stuck around for an extensive amount of time is because of the irony and actuality behind it. While the expression is meant to focus on the inevitability of taxes, Franklin also makes a point that it is impossible to deny the fact that everyone will eventually die. People get caught up in their day to day lives andRead MoreAnalysis Of Sherman Alexie s This Is What It Means For Say Phoenix Arizona ``943 Words   |  4 PagesIn the story â€Å"This is What It Means to Say Phoenix Arizona† by Sherman Alexie, the main character Victor is a full blood Native American, whose father recently passed away in Phoenix, Arizona. Victor must take the trip to collect his father s ashes, however due to his current financial situation he is unable to take his journey. An old friend of Victors, by t he name of Thomas builds-the-fire, offers to help fund Victors trip on the condition that he go with him. It is because of Thomas that VictorRead MoreAnalysis of This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona by Sherman Alexie1131 Words   |  5 PagesIn Sherman Alexies â€Å"This is what it means to say Phoenix, Arizona† a man named Victor finds out that his father has passed away. Being next of kin, Victor is responsible for gathering his fathers assets together, which requires him to make an out of town trip. In order to accomplish this Victor needs help. This help comes from the town outcast, Thomas Builds-the Fire. Victor and Thomas were childhood best friends but as they grew older, Victor turned his back on the one that always looked outRead MoreThis Is What It Means To Say Phoenix, Arizona: Stereotypes Essay1188 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"This Is What It Means To Say Phoenix, Arizona† discusses the physical and mental journey of Victor, a Native American m an in the state of Washington, as he goes to Phoenix, Arizona to claim his father’s remains and his savings account. While on this journey, Victor learns about himself, his father, and his Indian culture with the help of his estranged friend, Thomas Builds-the–Fire. The author, Sherman Alexie, plays on the stereotypes of Native Americans through the characters of Victor and ThomasRead MoreAn Essay on Otherness884 Words   |  4 Pagesprevent from being labeled as the Other you must possess common characteristics within a group. I read â€Å"This Is What It Means To Say Phoenix, Arizona† written by Sherman Alexie. It is about a boy named Victor who lives on an Indian Reservation and his dad has just died in Arizona. He wants to go to Arizona and bring back his dad. In this same reservation lives a boy named Thomas Build-theFire, which in this text is the Other. Victor cashes one hundred dollar at the Trading Post where he with curiosity approachesRead More Sherm an Alexies Subtle Sarcasm Essay886 Words   |  4 PagesSherman Alexies Subtle Sarcasm Sherman Alexie illustrates a subtle sarcasm that is very consistent among his stories. He conveys many of the current social issues that seem to be constant among those of Indian heritage. His main characters all have very similar characteristics: very laid back and socially conscious. An important characteristic that his characters share is a sense of wit and cynicism which helps convey Alexies ideals in many regards. The first rhetorical device AlexieRead MoreWhat It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona Essay1174 Words   |  5 PagesSherman J. Alexie, is a short story written in the first person focusing on two Native American Men who grew up together on a Reservation for Native Americans but have been estranged from each other since they were teenagers. Victor who is the narrator of this story is a young man who lost faith in his culture and its traditions, while Thomas our second main character is a deeply rooted traditional storyteller. In the beginning of the story Victor, our Native American narrator learns the death ofRead MoreLiterary Analysis of Sherman J. Alexie’s This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona779 Words   |  4 PagesAnalysis of â€Å"This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona† In life, everyone experiences a time of hardship, and for the most part, those affected find methods of overcoming the adversity. The idea of getting through hardship is best reflected in; Sherman J. Alexie’s story â€Å"This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona† (274). In the story, victor whose father had recently died from a heart attack has to travel to phoenix Arizona to reclaim his father’s ashes and his truck. Victor is joinedRead MoreAnalysis Of Sherman Alexie s A Native American Activist 862 Words   |  4 PagesInside-in-Out of â€Å"This is What it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona† Many underprivileged groups such as, African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics, just to name a few, often struggle to flourish within society due to lack of resources and lose their identity in assumption of their â€Å"inadequacy†. Sherman Alexie, a Native American activist, reveals the effects of poverty through the life of Victor, a young Native American living in a reservation, in his short story, â€Å"This is What it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona†Read MoreThis Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona Essay745 Words   |  3 PagesLorisa Qumawunu June 7, 2013 English 102 Essay #1(revision) â€Å"This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona† In the short story, â€Å"This is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona†, by Sherman Alexie, I looked at two characters: Thomas and Victor. Thomas Builds-the-Fire is a storyteller on a reservation who everyone ignores because they think he is crazy. Victor on the other hand is a guy who would not dare be seen talking to Thomas. Thomas knows that Victor is in This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona by Sherman... Benjamin Franklin once said that â€Å"Nothing is certain in life except death...and taxes† (Waliwensky). This phrase has rung in the ears of Americans for many, many years. The phrase has stuck around for an extensive amount of time is because of the irony and actuality behind it. While the expression is meant to focus on the inevitability of taxes, Franklin also makes a point that it is impossible to deny the fact that everyone will eventually die. People get caught up in their day to day lives and forget how precious life is. Death can happen at almost any point. The time where the loss has the most impression, is when it hits the family. A death of a family member demonstrates the relationship that the family members had. In the end, the family is going to be the one people use as reference for the memoir of the person. Many pieces of literature cover the subject of unsuspecting death. Of those comprises â€Å"What It Means To Say Phoenix, Arizona† by Sherman Alexie. Upon the death of his father, Victor goes through a range of emotions and experiences. Through death he does have some positive experiences that help bring forth his character development. Many would argue that Thomas Builds-The-Fire is the protagonist because the story focuses on him the most after his introduction. However, Victor goes through the most development and is very much a dynamic character. Prior to the trip taken to go retrieve the remains of Victor’s father, Victor shows very little interest in beingShow MoreRelatedThis Is What It Means To Say Phoenix, Arizona By Sherman Alexie924 Words   |  4 PagesBethany Furtado Professor Charbonneau Hess English 102 24 October 2017 Thomas Builds-the-Fire In the story, â€Å"This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona† by Sherman Alexie the two main characters are Victor and Thomas Builds-the-Fire. The story is about Victor and Thomas who are childhood best friends that went on a trip from their reservation to Phoenix, Arizona to collect Victor father’s savings account. Throughout the trip, they experience many flashbacks of when they were friends such as whenRead MoreAnalysis Of Sherman Alexie s This Is What It Means For Say Phoenix Arizona ``943 Words   |  4 PagesIn the story â€Å"This is What It Means to Say Phoenix Arizona† by Sherman Alexie, the main character Victor is a full blood Native American, whose father recently passed away in Phoenix, Arizona. Victor must take the trip to collect his father s ashes, however due to his current financial situation he is unable to take his journey. An old friend of Victors, by the name of Thomas builds-the-fire, offers to help fund Victors trip on the condition that he go with him. It is because of Thomas that VictorRead MoreAnalysis of This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona by Sherman Alexie1131 Words   |  5 PagesIn Sherman Alexies â€Å"This is what it means to say Phoenix, Arizona† a man named Victor finds out that his father has passed away. Being next of kin, Victor is responsible for gathering his fathers assets together, which requires him to make an out of town trip. In order to accomplish this Victor needs help. This help comes from the town outcast, Thomas Builds-the Fire. Victor and Thomas were childhood best friends but as they grew older, Victor turned his back on the one that always looked outRead MoreThis Is What It Means To Say Phoenix, Arizona: Stereotypes Essay1188 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"This Is What It Means To Say Phoenix, Arizona† discusses the physical and mental journey of Victor, a Native American man in the state of Washington, as he goes to Phoenix, Arizona to claim his fatherâ⠂¬â„¢s remains and his savings account. While on this journey, Victor learns about himself, his father, and his Indian culture with the help of his estranged friend, Thomas Builds-the–Fire. The author, Sherman Alexie, plays on the stereotypes of Native Americans through the characters of Victor and ThomasRead MoreAn Essay on Otherness884 Words   |  4 Pagesprevent from being labeled as the Other you must possess common characteristics within a group. I read â€Å"This Is What It Means To Say Phoenix, Arizona† written by Sherman Alexie. It is about a boy named Victor who lives on an Indian Reservation and his dad has just died in Arizona. He wants to go to Arizona and bring back his dad. In this same reservation lives a boy named Thomas Build-theFire, which in this text is the Other. Victor cashes one hundred dollar at the Trading Post where he with curiosity approachesRead More Sherman Alexies Subtle Sarcasm Essay886 Words   |  4 PagesSherman Alexies Subtle Sarc asm Sherman Alexie illustrates a subtle sarcasm that is very consistent among his stories. He conveys many of the current social issues that seem to be constant among those of Indian heritage. His main characters all have very similar characteristics: very laid back and socially conscious. An important characteristic that his characters share is a sense of wit and cynicism which helps convey Alexies ideals in many regards. The first rhetorical device AlexieRead MoreWhat It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona Essay1174 Words   |  5 PagesSherman J. Alexie, is a short story written in the first person focusing on two Native American Men who grew up together on a Reservation for Native Americans but have been estranged from each other since they were teenagers. Victor who is the narrator of this story is a young man who lost faith in his culture and its traditions, while Thomas our second main character is a deeply rooted traditional storyteller. In the beginning of the story Victor, our Native American narrator learns the death ofRead MoreLiterary Analysis of Sherman J. Alexie’s This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona779 Words   |  4 PagesAnalysis of â€Å"This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona† In life, everyone experiences a time of hardship, and for the most part, those affected find methods of overcoming the adversity. The idea of getting through hardship is best reflected in; Sherman J. Alexie’s story â€Å"This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona† (274). In the story, victor whose father had recently died from a heart attack has to travel to phoenix Arizona to reclaim his father’s ashes and his truck. Victor is joinedRead MoreAnalysis Of Sherman Alexie s A Native American Activist 862 Words   |  4 PagesInside-in-Out of â€Å"This is What it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona† Many underprivileged groups such as, African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics, just to name a few, often struggle to flourish within society due to lack of resources and lose their identity in assumption of their â€Å"inadequacy†. Sherman Alexie, a Native American activist, reveals the effects of poverty through the life of Victor, a young Native American living in a reservation, in his short story, â€Å"This is What it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona†Read MoreThis Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona Essay745 Words   |  3 PagesLorisa Qumawunu June 7, 2013 English 102 Essay #1(revision) â€Å"This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona† In the short story, â€Å"This is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona†, by Sherman Alexie, I looked at two characters: Thomas and Victor. Thomas Builds-the-Fire is a storyteller on a reservation who everyone ignores because they think he is crazy. Victor on the other hand is a guy who would not dare be seen talking to Thomas. Thomas knows that Victor is in