In Reservation Blues, Sherman Alexie extensively uses dreams to portray the relationship between white people and Native Americans. The dreams depict a constant struggle between the two societies, as well as a gradual extinction of the Indian culture. A complete picture of the Native American way of life could be seen from examining these dreams?and its not a pretty one. None of the dreams are positive or reveal anything good about the Indian way of life. If anything, Sherman Alexie tries to show the humiliation and poverty that the Native Americans are forced to live in, all the while being scolded by whites for rebelling against this degrading way of life. Through his use of dreams as a portal to express his opinions, Sherman Alexie brings out a number of issues concerning the Native Americans that would not be obvious to an outsider. One of such issues is the amount of coverage that the Indians get by the media. Since they have been forced to move to the reservations, Indians (aside from stereotypical Westerns) have practically disappeared off the television screens. That, in itself is very unfortunate. Had the general population of US witnessed the level of life of the Native Americans, the reservations would undoubtedly get aid that they desperately need.
Another negative aspect of inadequate media coverage is that the Indians do not have any cultural role models to look up to. All they see on TV or hear about on the radio are the achievements of white man. Sherman Alexie very effectively portrays that in the book through one of Thomas?s dreams: ?He turned on his?television to watch white people live. [It] constantly reminded Thomas of all he never owned. Thomas searched the television for evidence of Indians?until his hands ached.? Another theme that seems to appear in most of the dreams in the book is the treatment of Native Americans by the white people. It is always shown in negative light. Victor has a dream about big, powerful white people ?shoveling hair into burning barrels, furnaces, and open fires. Long, black hair.? Alexie is symbolically showing the efforts of white society to destroy the Native American culture and any traditional values that the Indians might have. Religion also comes up in the dreams, but only as a tool of control of the white man. In Father Arnold?s dream, the white men rely on the Indians? faith to keep the latter in control. The missionaries basically force the Indians into submission through the use of fear, all the while claiming to be acting in the name of G-d and spreading the religious doctrine. Sometimes, the white people would hurt and kill the Indians, while making it look like the Indians are being repented and the white missionaries are just doing the Native Americans a favor. Checkers dream signifies that when Father Arnold keeps saying, ?I forgive you? upon entering (and thus, hurting) her.
The Term Paper on Native Americans 6
Native Americans When Whites started to come over to America, they didnt think twice about taking over the Native Americans land. As it says in Strangers to These Shores, Columbuss first impressions of the Arakawa Tribe in the Caribbean reflected ethnocentrism I knew they were a people who would better be freed and converted to our Holy Faith by love than by force they are all generally of good ...
Throughout most dreams, Sherman Alexie seems to be blaming the white people (and rightfully so) for the destruction of Native American culture and heritage. Obviously, if it wasn?t for the whites, the Indians wouldn?t be huddled together on reservations, living off government rationed food, and dying from alcohol. However, Alexie points out the more serious problems the Indians have experienced?those during the times of war. In Junior?s dream, when he is captured by white soldiers and sentenced to death for the murder of 18 people, General Sheridan offers him a piece of paper, saying, ?Just sign it, and God will help you.? Alexie is trying to show that even though the problems that the Indians encounter on the reservations are significant, the few brave ones who refused to be relocated during the war were simply killed without questions. Besides blaming the white society for the wrongs done to the Native Americans, Sherman Alexie tries to be fair by showing that it?s partly the Indians? fault too. In some of the dreams of the book, it?s suggested that if the Indians weren?t so divided among themselves, they would?ve had a better chance of standing up to whites when the latter oppressed them.
The Term Paper on White Man People Bomb Democracy
The three essays, 'Thank God For The Atom Bomb' by Paul Fussed, 'Democracy' by Carl Becker, and 'Chief Seattle: Letter to President Pierce, 1855' are three different rhetorical modes of writing that expos its theoretical, personal reasoning on the realities of certain controversial historical topics. The main focus of the essays are in proving a steadfast view of an ambiguous subject through ...
For example, Chess?s dream shows that, during the war, Indians sometimes betrayed each other: ?They led him to a small building, and the [Indian] quickly pulled a knife?the angry Indian grabbed the unpainted one from behind?knocked the knife away?and pinned his arms behind his back. A soldier lunged forward ?and speared the unpainted [Indian]. The angry Indian trilled.? In a similar fashion, Junior?s dream supports the idea of disunity as he dreams that, ??each of his siblings climbed out of the car and ran away?into darkness?to other reservations?to crack houses?and never returned.? Dreams in Reservation Blues are the main source of the actual beliefs and views of Sherman Alexie. While the rest of the book concentrates on plot, setting, and historic accuracy, the dreams, in this case, are a direct link between the reader and the mind of the author. After analyzing the dreams in the book, it becomes clear that Alexie takes a stand against the white people in the way they have dealt with Indian Americans. In almost all of the dreams, he shows, in one way or another, how the Indians were wronged by the white society. Alexie even suggests a way for the Indians to conserve what?s left of their culture. In one of his dreams, Thomas realizes that his culture is slowly being stolen away by New Agers and says: ?Brothers?people are listening to us pray. They have come into the sweatlodge to steal from us. We have to keep our songs private and hidden.?
Bibliography:
Reservation Blues, Sherman Alexie
