The twenty-four linked tales in Alexie’s debut collection-an instant classic-paint an unforgettable portrait of life on and around the Spokane Indian Reservation, a place where “Survival = Anger x Imagination,” where HUD houses and generations of privation intertwine with history, passion, and myth. Anaya utilizes the concept of storytelling with stories that have been passed down generation after generation.Sherman Alexie’s darkly humorous story collection weaves memory, fantasy, and stark reality to powerfully evoke life on the Spokane Indian Reservation. The stories Thomas tells in The Lone Ranger… have some sense of folklore in them but these stories are of his own creation, let alone made up on the spot. The legend of the Golden Carp is a prime example of folklore. Antonio’s grandmother, Ultima, even knew about the legend but refrained from telling her grandson about it because she believed Antonio would believe his friends more than he believed her. Upon the discovery of the legendary fish, with the help of his friend, Antonio becomes disappointed and perhaps disillusioned because he truly believed the story was real. Upon hearing this tale, Antonio sets out to prove whether or not it was true. However, this god had an insurmountable amount of love for people that he wanted to join them, thus turning himself into a Golden Carp. The Golden Carp disciplines these wrongdoers by transforming them into carp. For example, one summer Antonio learns about the lore of the Golden Carp, a god who punishes people for eating carp that they are not allowed to catch and consume. Also, the storytelling is presented in the form of folklore. But Anaya’s novel differs in the prospect of storytelling because it is being told from the perspective of just one character, Antonio. Thomas enjoys telling stories because it keeps him connected to his spiritual roots and helps preserve Native Americans’ culture and history. Alexie’s collection of stories is told by the perspectives of certain characters like Victor, Junior and especially Thomas Builds-the-Fire. There is one central theme that is essential in Sherman Alexie’s The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven and Rudolfo Anaya’s Bless Me, Ultima: storytelling.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
January 2023
Categories |