this is what it means to say phoenix

There are several central themes in “This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona” by Sherman Alexie, but the most salient theme is the acceptance of the current problems. In this story, Victor has a much pain because of his father’s death; however, he tries to go to Phoenix to bring his father’s ashes back home. Due to this scene, we can see how Victor can overcome grief and accept the fact that his father had passed away. Unfortunately, Victor, a strong man, does not have enough money to go to Phoenix. To oppose this problem, he accepts Thomas Builds-the-Fire’s help. He gets Thomas’s money, and let’s Thomas go with him although they do not have a good relationship. The central idea of this story belongs to philosophical because it talks about life and death. Victor has a good behavior to his father although his father has left home and rarely called him. In addition, he tries to come to Phoenix to bring his father’s ashes although it is difficult for him to get there. Moreover, the central idea also belongs to sociological because of the conversations between Victor and Thomas. In this story, Victor and Thomas Builds-the-Fire are the main characters, and there are some minor characters around them such as their parents, Victor’s friends, Normal, and Cathy. Following the story, Alexie describes Thomas as a story-teller. He is a very nice person, and he likes to tell his stories, but nobody wants to listen to him. Similar to many people in the village, Victor does not want to listen to Thomas’ stories, either. Victor sometimes beats Thomas up when he was drunk. When they were children,, they used to be friends, but they have stopped being friends for a long time. In the beginning of the story, Alexie describes Victor as a person who loses his past, but in the trip to Phoenix, he gets back his memories when he was a child. He remembers his father, and Thomas tells him about his dream of his father. In addition, the words, “Builds-the Fire”, are in Thomas’