Out of all of the readings we've done in class The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight In Heaven by Sherman Alexie was definitely my favorite. Maybe part of it was that the way it was written was easier to read, but I really liked that it was broken down into short stories but had a lot of the same characters throughout the whole book. I enjoyed the style of writing, all the unique characters, the setting, and most of all the symbolism.
One of my favorites was "Because My Father Always Said He Was the Only Indian Who Saw Jimi Hendrix Play 'The Star Spangled Banner' at Woodstock". It seems like it uses the playing of that song as a recurring symbol of Victors attachment to his father. As I said in my last post it's hard for me to decipher the symbolism sometimes, but it definitely makes it more fun to read, it'll be interesting in class tomorrow to hear what people made of all the symbols.
"2. When I heard my fathers pickup, I would run upstairs and throw Jimi's tape into the stereo... 4. My father would weep, attempt to hum along with Jimi, and then pass out with his head on the kitchen table. 5. I would fall asleep under the table with my head near his feet. 6. We'd dream together until the sun came up." I read that part so many times, maybe because I was trying to read further into it, or I just found it interesting and somewhat humorous and sad at the same time.
Well since Peter Ray and I are doing our presentation about some of these stories tomorrow, I'll save the rest for then. Especially since this website is driving me crazy, something always goes wrong when I try to post, so no picture this time. It looks so plain:(
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Christina,
ReplyDeleteYou say you're not good with symbolism, but you've definitely figured out that Jimi Hendrix's "Star-Spangled Banner" functions symbolically in this story.
I like how Alexie calls the drunken ritual he and his father go through a "ceremony." It's almost as if these 6 steps have taken on a formal, culturally significant role. As an expression of this father-son relationship, it's ambivalent, as you suggest--both funny and sad at the same time (and also moving, in a sad and funny way).
I'm glad you enjoyed this book! You should check out Alexie's other work, all of it amazing IMHO: http://www.fallsapart.com/. He's written screenplays, children's books, poetry, fiction, essays, and even stand-up comedy.
Good post this week. I completely agree with you on this novel being the most entertaining read this semester. I think that the comedy aspect that most likely stems from Sherman Alexies earlier life where he was a comedian plays a significant influence in the way he develops his writing style. In reading the novel I noticed how Alexie manages to turn the bad situation that are occurring with the character into entertainment and make the audience laugh such as the episode in the chapter “Amusement.”
ReplyDeleteI also like Alexies style of writing based on how he manages to use symbolism in every story in order for it to have a deeper meaning and allow it to be an entreating read. For example in the first episode of the novel where a hurricane occurs, instead of bluntly stating that a hurricane happened, Sherman Alexie delves into a story about a fight that Victor observe which the fight is a symbol for hurricane because it escalates from an argument. Reading about two characters fighting is much more entertaining than reading how hurricane came and went. Due to such a unique writing style that Alexie uses throughout the novel, it creates a fun piece to read and I noticed myself getting interested in the novel, a factor I struggled with in Great Gatsby. Overall I really enjoyed this read and think that Sherman ALexie did a terrific job of portraying some depressing events in a humors and entertaining way that still manages to grasp the reality of reservation life.