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Smoke Signals Movie Analysis

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Center Your Title Here: It Should Have Two Parts, Separated by a Colon Sherman Alexie stood in front of a room full of plebes and said, “I had my own battle with alcoholism, and I had to go to rehab” (Alexie). Alexie’s powerful lecture closely parallels the movie which Smoke Signals tells the story of a young Native American named Victor. The Indian’s father leaves his family because of the guilt and hopelessness he feels from starting a fire that killed Thomas’s parents several years ago. The ties between the movie and the lecture can be drawn because the main points of both revolve around alcoholism and problems in Native American’s lives today. The movie and lecture made the regiment realize that it is important to be aware of what others are going through. People often turn to destructive coping mechanisms when they feel powerless and alienated. Victor’s journey to Arizona has greater significance than him just retrieving his father’s ashes; symbolically, he is on a journey to discover himself. As Victor and Thomas leave their …show more content…

He said the alienation the father felt is similar to that many Native Americans feel. After being stripped of their land, culture, and heritage many of the native people find themselves in a deep depression. They are alienated from everything that was once theirs, and this leads them to have a desire to escape their mental torture. Unfortunately, the escape path is mainly through alcohol. Alexie said many of his friends have died from alcohol abuse, and it is devastating the Native American society who as a result suffers from the highest suicide rate among any ethnic group in the United States. People are liable to turn to alcoholism because of things that are happening in their lives; because of that, it is important to be aware of how other people are doing. Caring leads to an environment which is open and

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Many years later, Victor’s father continued to listen to the famous recording while drinking time and time over again. As years went on, Victor’s parents began to grow apart and eventually separate and get a divorce. In this story, there is a plethora of symbols of “escape,” from problems and pain in many different and unique ways in this story. Music, drinking, a

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1680 Words | 7 Pages

The alcoholics have impaired perceptions and may not have good judgmental skills. The mentioned groups have a disadvantage in one way or another and people may take advantage of their situation. They may be impeded to do something absurd out of their wish but because they do not have a sense of reason, they end up bowing to the demands given. It is cruel to take advantage of this people hence the reason why the action was brought on

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1091 Words | 5 Pages

The seeking of comfort began since John Grady Cole's mother left his father and him from the age of “six months old till [he] was about three” , (25) his father tells John Grady. This act that the mother did left John Grady without the knowledge of knowing what that tenderness, caring,

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818 Words | 4 Pages

As a whole, the Dead Family effectively shows how an individual begins to become isolated from society, and how they may resolve the issue of lack of sense of belonging. Morrison’s work illustrates the voice and feelings that are existing as a result of isolation. According

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571 Words | 3 Pages

Writer Sherman Alexie has a knack of intertwining his own problematic biographical experience with his unique stories and no more than “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven” demonstrates that. Alexie laced a story about an Indian man living in Spokane who reflects back on his struggles in life from a previous relationship, alcoholism, racism and even the isolation he’s dealt with by living off the reservation. Alexie has the ability to use symbolism throughout his tale by associating the title’s infamy of two different ethnic characters and interlinking it with the narrator experience between trying to fit into a more society apart from his own cultural background. However, within the words themselves, Alexie has created themes that surround despair around his character however he illuminates on resilience and alcoholism throughout this tale.

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1106 Words | 5 Pages

Since The Road is more about the Boy’s journey than his father’s, the supreme ordeal at the end of the novel is the death of the Man. The death of the Man, who acted as the Boy’s mentor during the many challenges faced by the duo, represents the largest and most devastating challenge faced by the Boy. Not only is this due to the fact that the Boy feels unprepared to continue on without his father, but it is also because the “reward” and “road back” are not immediately apparent to the Boy. Compared to even the most challenging obstacles the Boy faced in the past, the death of his father leaves him both physically and mentally pained and exhausted. However, relief from his situation arrives promptly in the form of the stranger who claims to be a “good guy,” though the Boy’s future remains forever uncertain.

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991 Words | 4 Pages

Reflection Paper on Smoke Signals (directed by Chris Eyre) Smoke Signals is a movie about a young man names Victor and his friend Thomas who travel to Phoenix, Arizona to escape the reservation they live on. Smoke Signals shows an explicit representation of Freud’s Functionalist Reductionism of Religion as Victors faith and religion is being tested by his emotional turmoil experienced through his life. Smoke Signals also shows a relation to Freud’s concept that religion arises from emotions and conflicts of childhood as well as the need for a fatherly figure in one’s life (both in the celestial and real worlds). This essay will firstly discuss the situations which support the ideas of Freud’s Functionalist Reductionism Theory. Secondly, symbols

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1845 Words | 8 Pages

As a child, Victor was emotionally neglected by his father. He was never taught how to be a father because he did not have a good role model to look after. Consequently, when Victor’s creation came to life, he did not know how to act. He was scared and tried to run away from his problems. Since his creation has no parental figure to support and teach him, he develops behavioral problems and is very confused.

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758 Words | 4 Pages

Victor has had supportive people around him since birth; however now that he is at the university he has nobody to help keep him level headed. "Every night I was oppressed by a slow fever, and I became nervous to a most painful degree; the fall of a leaf startled me, and I shunned my fellow creatures as if I had been guilty of a crime" (35). The isolation being portrayed by Victor is now shifting from not only

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863 Words | 4 Pages

In enduring these complex emotions, this section was the most remarkable part. One of the first apparent emotions the boy experiences with the death of his father is loneliness to make this section memorable. The boy expresses this sentiment when he stays with his father described as, “When he came back he knelt beside his father and held his cold hand and said his name over and over again,” (McCarthy 281). The definition of loneliness is, “sadness because one has no friends or company.”

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1056 Words | 5 Pages

Further, this loss of family and friends causes Victor to lose his attachment to the world. Secrecy ultimately brings about his inability to save himself. In this paragraph I will show

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428 Words | 2 Pages

Growing up with an alcoholic dad showed me the damage that addiction has not only on the individual, but also on the people around. I have seen my mother cry because my dad would rather get drunk than spend time with us. I have seen my father unable to walk or talk. When my dad is drunk, he is a completely different person, short-temper and

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1320 Words | 6 Pages

Alcoholism has been the consumption of liquor that can create mental behaviors that become dependent on alcohol. Native American and Alaskan Natives are more likely than other ethnicities to die of alcohol related cases. There are different types of issues that can cause them to led this path. What causes them to have so many deaths related to alcoholism?   Method can be used to identify whether or not they have an alcohol related problem.

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929 Words | 4 Pages

Sherman Alexie writes the story “Indian Education” using a deadpan tone to build and connect the years of the narrator 's life together in an ironic way. Alexie is able to utilize irony through the use of separate, short sections within the story. The rapid presentation of events, simple thoughts, and poetic points made within the story enable the reader to make quick connections about the narrator’s life to draw more complex realizations. The art that Alexie uses to write this very short story is poetic in nature through the meaning and structure of his writing. By the fact that the reader can draw deeper conclusions about the narrator 's life from Alexie’s writing is evident that his writing is poetic.

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571 Words | 3 Pages

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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