Analysis Of Sherman Alexie's 'Traveling Between Worlds Apart'

In the “Traveling Between Worlds Apart”, podcast Sherman Alexie reflects on his own unique sporadic childhood experiences and its relations to other different experiences others may be going through. When I first heard this podcast, I was stunned to know that Sherman Alexie endured traumatic experiences like mine. He had to endure a rough childhood where he was constantly teased for having a globe sized head due to the hydrocephalus as an infant (To The Best Of Our Knowledge, 2017) He also had to endure being a child at in Indian reservation where his home was the party house on the block (To The Best Of Our Knowledge, 2017). It sounds appealing but it was far from it. His father was constantly drunk enraged in violence even at certain moments
He remembers waking up after the incident and his mother still glued to the couch as if it were normal. I to have had a similar experience as Sherman Alexie did. I grew up in a Chicago’s west side attending in an elementary school as one of a handful of white kids where I was constantly bullied being called a “pussy white boy bitch”, because I would rather mind my own business and read video game articles in class instead of talking about gang signs, and who was going to win the fight after school. I even remember a specific moment where I was minding my own business playing football with a close friend. Trying to catch a pass. Accidently running into one of the local kids. Kassim was his name. He grabbed me without warning, and started punching me not even giving me a moment to explain that it was an
Sherman talks about when attending his new high school 22 miles away that he was the only Indian besides the mascot (To The Best Of Our Knowledge, 2017). It may seem like a funny comment, but the humor is short lived when you think of why that is. It touches a sensitive spot for many. Why he is the only Indian or colored boy attending in all white school because of the social constructs of society. Given the opportunity Sherman excelled in that high school and was praised as the best basketball player at the school. I believe there are plenty of Sherman’s living amongst us in rural areas where crime runs ramped who are not as fortunate to get out. They can’t live life to their potential because of the social constructs depriving them of that opportunity. They step into class and the books they are reading are ripped apart and have wet marks poured across the