What does it mean? Although some people may not think too much of things as insignificant as names or symbols‚ there is always a reason an author puts them in a story. Sherman Alexi’s “This Is What It Means To Say Phoenix Arizona” is a great example of a story that is full of many different kinds of symbolism‚ ranging from animals to people‚ even the story’s title. Understanding of Alexi’s symbols in the story is crucial in understanding the meaning of the story as a whole. A symbol
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Sherman 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 of
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Anh Phan Professor Frank English 112 September 28‚ 2012 “That Is What It Means to Say Phoenix‚ Arizona” In short story Sherman Alexie. “That is what it means to say Phoenix‚ Arizona‚ he creates three main characters‚ Victor‚ Victor’s father‚ and Thomas who have three different personalities. However‚ Thomas seems one of the most interesting characters in this short story. The author presents Thomas as a person who has not been affected negative by the hardship and struggles of modern day Native
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Conflict Within Thyself Jermaine Kelly ENG 102 072 Prof. Messina Essay 1 October 2nd‚ 2007. 1 Sherman Alexie’s story‚ "This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix‚ Arizona"‚ states mainly how two Native Americans struggle to adapt to modern times and their culture‚ and the conflict they endured within their lifetime. The story focuses on two main characters that embark on a cross-country journey to retrieve a dead father’s ashes and belongings. Victor‚ one of the main characters in the story
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What Does It Mean To Say Phoenix‚Arizona. For Victor to say Phoenix‚ Arizona can draw a lot of emotion. His father had passed away from a heart attack and wasn’t found until a week later. He hadn’t seen his father for many years. The only communication was by phone maybe once or twice. On top of that‚ Victor had lost his job at the BIA. He was not financially stable to go to Phoenix to pick up his dad so he contacted the Tribal Affairs. The council was only allowed to provide him with a
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gifts‚ because what they gave up‚ relates to their possessions they gave up. In Sherman Alexie’s “This is What It Means to Say Phoenix‚ Arizona”‚ the protagonist Victor travels with his childhood friend Thomas to Phoenix to get the remains of his dead father. Thomas tells him the story of Victors dad telling him to “Take care of each other” (156). Through out these two stories‚ the authors successfully integrate literary devices to draw in the readers. A similar theme that both stories posses is lack
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forgetting history of themselves becoming people living in the present as well as writing their own history‚ while others bass in the pass‚ never forgetting where they came from and who they are. The same happened in “This is What it means to say Phoenix Arizona”‚ by Sherman Alexie‚ the story followed two men who traveled to retrieve the remains of a deceased one while learning more about themselves and their culture. Victor and Thomas Builds-The-Fire are the two main characters that are both Native Americans
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Lorisa Qumawunu June 7‚ 2013 English 102 Essay #1(revision) “This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix‚ Arizona” In the short story‚ “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
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“This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix‚ Arizona‚ is a story that focuses on the relationship between two Native American men‚ Victor and Thomas Builds-The-Fire‚ who have grown up together one the Spokane Indian Reservation. The leading cause of the central action of the story was the death of Victor’s father in Phoenix‚ Arizona. Having just lost his job and unable to financially travel alone with the one hundred dollars given to him by the Tribal Council‚ Victor happens to run into Thomas Builds-The-Fire
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Although it seems as though he likes Thomas by the end of the story‚ Victor in fact still harbors certain feelings of dislike and contempt towards Thomas. Almost at the finish of the story “This is What it Means to Say Phoenix‚ Arizona”‚ Sherman Alexie portrays Victor as being kind and friendly to Thomas. Victor feels the urge that he owes something to Thomas and ends up offering to Mr. Builds-the-Fire the precious ash remains of his recently deceased father. As kind as he was to do that‚ Victor
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