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Loss Of Culture In Sherman Alexie's 'Indian Education'

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In Sherman Alexie’s short stories (and poems), there usually three central themes that the story rotates. In this paper, I will be exploring how he (Alexie) explores the themes losing culture, a cycle of regret, and using drugs (mainly alcohol) to escape. In Indian Education, the short story, Alexie seems to show that whenever young Victor tries to express himself through his culture, he is punished. Take the section “First Grade” for example. In first grade, Junior (the main character and narrator) says that “The little warrior in me roared to life that day..” and makes comparisons to traditional Native American warriors, such as describing the brusies on the other boy’s face as “war paint” or how Junior chants “it’s a good day to die”, which is phrase typically associated with Crazy Horse, who was a Native American chief. But he is punished for his actions, and is sent to the principal 's office. However, “Good Hair”, is the most blatantly obvious loss of culture, as it is a literal, physical loss. The …show more content…

The story itself is constant repetition, it is the same scene over and over again. Two men on the porch reminiscing on their high school days as they watch basketball players walk by. They hope that the kids will break the cycle, but they seem to lose hope every time. Even the line about the traffic light that the story is named for is repeated scene after scene. At the end of “Indian Education”, there is one key line that speaks to this never-ending cycle, that line is “_”. This directly correlates to the idea to the idea of failure, and being stuck in the same cycle as the generations before them. This can be drawn on the fact that, at his graduation, it is said that “_”. However , when the time comes, he loses hope, and turns to substance abuse just like his parents, showing the repeating cycle that continues from generation to

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The novel Reservation Blues, written by Sherman Alexie reveals different struggles encountered by the Native Americans on the Spokane Indian Reservation through the use of history, traditions, and values. Thomas Builds-the-Fire, a pureblood Indian, forms a band with his childhood acquaintances Victor Joseph and Junior Polatkin called Coyote Springs. Alexie uses a variety of scenes and personal encounters between characters and their dialogue to portray the meaning of tribal identity throughout the novel. A cultures goal is to prove their identity and be superior to one another; The American culture has achieved dominance through white hegemony while the Spokane American Indian tribe is in a battle of oppression struggling to preserve their tribal identity. Spokane Native Americans are very passionate about their tribal identities yet are envious of the power that the white hegemony holds against them, leading them to their depression.

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Years of being mistreated and living in poverty from generations to generations, engraves the harsh memories into the Indians from the early ages of childhood. Alexie provides the reader with brutal memories that Wright and Sherman, record company agents, have of the harming of the Indians: “Wright looked at Coyote Springs. He saw their Indian faces. He saw the faces of millions of Indians, beaten, scarred by smallpox and frostbite, split open by bayonets and bullets. He looked at his own white hands and saw the blood stains there” (244).

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Despite the negative stereotype of American Indians, the objections and disapproval of fellow Natives, and the criticism of others, Sherman Alexie went on to become a successful writer that has inspired many. Alexie overcame many obstacles that would have deterred him from his goal, but he was able to remain steadfast and continue on in his pursuit of writing. As a result, he has published many literary works that include several short stories, poems, and a variety of novels. He allows his culture to seep into his writing, and continues to inspire young American Indians who also desire the path of knowledge.

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Finally, in the end of the novel, students share their feelings about graduation through their journal entries. One student tells his story of being the first to graduate high school and continue onto college, proving that dreams can be achieved, and new paths can be created. He says, “Historians say history repeats itself, but in my case I have managed to break the cycle because I 'm going to graduate from high school and go to college, an opportunity my parents never had”(205). This really emphasizes the theme of the entire book, which is that change is possible, and the sky 's the limit. Once a hoodlum, this young man has matured into a true student, being the first in his family to even graduate, plus he will go on to college

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