The Lone Ranger And Tonto Fistfight In Heaven Analysis

The Wrong American Dream: Struggling to Assimilate in â€Å"The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven† â€Å"Kill the Indian and save the Man,† sounds more like something out of a dystopian novel than an educational campaign slogan, but in 1887 those were the words chosen by Army Lt. Richard Henry Pratt to garner public support for government’s attempt to forcefully â€Å"Americanize† Native Americans. Native Americans that survived violence were coerced into wearing white man’s clothes, cutting their hair, and not speaking their native languages to â€Å"encourage† them to blend in (Reyhner). Sherman Alexie knows firsthand of the many lingering ramifications that these callous actions of violence and injustice against America’s indigenous peoples†¦show more content†¦This American dream of harmoniously joining the rest of the world appears to be viewed as something out of reach or even illusionary by the Natives in Alexie’s writings. In an earlier story within the same collection of stories in â€Å"The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven†, a narrator reflects on his white ex-girlfriend as if she had been a mirage, saying, â€Å"She was like a shimmer in the distance. She was so white his reservation eyes suffered† (Alexie 84). The narrator in â€Å"The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven† chases this American dream by moving to Seattle to live with his girlfriend. The picture painted of this relationship is a turbulent one rife with distrust, insults and fights, though ultimately it appears the pair genuinely care for one another. The narrator’s relationship could be representative of the relationship between the white and Native American communities’ relationship. While there is an underlying desire to reconcile, the Native American feels alienated by a population that doesn’t comprehend their struggles and therefore cannot really understand the reservations and resentments in terms of a relationship. The narrator’s breaking of lamps could symbolize two sides blind to the other’s feelings and backgrounds making reconciliationShow MoreRelatedThe Lone Ranger And Tonto Fistfight In Heaven Analysis929 Words   |  4 Pagesask? Is it a state of mind? Is it what defines the entire definition of humanity itself? Is it a lie to hide to the bigger truth that we are all being controlled by the Flying Spaghetti Monst er ?,†¦. probably not. In the book â€Å"the Lone Ranger and Tonto fistfight in heaven† the handling of common emotions is challenging at best. Because it portrays a different aspect of emotions you wouldnt assume were complicated to understand. For instance, you have happiness portrayed in a limelight you wouldntRead MoreThe Lone Ranger And Tonto Fistfight In Heaven Analysis1087 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"It hurts to lose any of them [to alcoholism] because Indians kind of see ballplayers as saviors† (52). In The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight In Heaven, by Sherman Alexie, alcoholism takes on a salient -- yet disastrous -- role in regards to the success of Native Americans. In the short story â€Å"A Train Is An Order of Occurrence Designed to Lead to Some Result,† Samuel Builds-the-Fire, the first in his community to successfully leave the reservation and move to a city named Spokane, struggles withRead More Analysis of Sherman Alexies The Lone Ranger a nd Tonto Fistfight in Heaven and Smoke Signals582 Words   |  3 PagesAnalysis of Sherman Alexies The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven and Smoke Signals   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sherman Alexie based on some short stories included in his book, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, wrote the screenplay for the movie Smoke Signals. Both the movie and the book portray problems that Indians had to deal with, and how they dealt with it. The book is far more complex than the movie, showing a wider variation of characters facing different situations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  InRead MoreThe Lone Ranger And Tonto Fistfight In Heaven And Post-Colonialism Analysis1480 Words   |  6 Pagesespecially when it comes to the way that they are treated. They haven’t been treated with respect when it comes to being in the film industry, politics, or even just living life day to day as an average person. Sherman Alexie’s â€Å"The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven† and â€Å"Postcards to Columbus† have a deeper meaning of the negativity that colonialism has done to the Native American people and how they are perceived in the present day. Sherman Alexie’s â€Å"Postcards to Columbus† portrays an arrayRead MoreAnalysis Of The Lone Ranger And Tonto Fistfight In Heaven By Sherman Alexie1763 Words   |  8 Pagesstory â€Å"The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven† tells the story of a Native American living in current day America. It explains the struggles he faces living in a period that his group of people haven’t moved on too. Many Native Americans still live in their reservation and stay separate from the â€Å"real world†. Natives only know their way of life so when they try to change that, they don’t know what to expect. In Sherman Alexie’s short story â€Å"The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven† the narratorRead MoreAnalysis Of Sherman Alexies Novel The Lone Ranger And Tonto Fistfight In Heaven2012 Words   |  9 PagesEssay 1 In Sherman Alexie’s novel The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven shows the struggles of daily Native American life, which is shown through the point of view of male character. All though out the book the following three questions appear: ‘What does it mean to live as an Indian in this time? What does it mean to be an Indian man? and What does it mean to live on an Indian reservation?’ Alexie uses literary devices such as point of view, imagery, characterization to make his point thatRead MoreAnalysis Of Sherman Alexie s The Lone Ranger And Tonto Fistfight Heaven 1435 Words   |  6 Pagesthe past. As times change and the days of Indian and cowboy battles are behind us; how is it possible for a warrior to still be relevant in the modern day? Sherman Alexie expresses this idea of a modern-day warrior in his book The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. Many times, throughout the book Alexie brings up the idea of warriors and uses their actions to por tray them to seem noble. Multiple characters in the book want to change their current outlook on life and break the mold set forwardRead MoreAnalysis Of Sherman Alexie s Lone Ranger And Tonto Fistfight Heaven 1598 Words   |  7 Pagesmorality in fiction, historical fiction, or anything related to such topics. Consequently, most books read in popular culture have a lesson; novels are a form of education. An example of this has been shown through Sherman Alexie’s Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. In this novel, he attempts to shed light on the struggles Native American people, specifically on the Spokane Reservation, withstand through multiple stories and perspectives. Some novels, if their perspective of truth has not beenRead MoreAnalysis Of Sherman Alexie s Lone Ranger And Tonto Fistfight Heaven 1534 Words   |  7 Pagesstory of morality in fiction, historical fiction, or anything related to such topics. However, most books read in popular culture have a les son; novels are a form of education. An example of this can be shown through Sherman Alexie’s Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. In this novel, he attempts to shed light of the struggles Native American people, specifically on the Spokane Reservation, withstand through multiple stories and perspectives. Some novels, if their perspective of truth is not takenRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Sherman Alexie s The Lone Ranger And Tonto Fistfight Heaven 1448 Words   |  6 PagesDisconnections in The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven,† the author Joseph L. Coulombe, writes about the humor used in Sherman Alexie’s short stories. Coulombe argues that in Sherman Alexie’s stories that humor is essential for character development and the creation of bonds between these characters. He often makes statements discussing how humor allows Alexie’s characters to show strength and connect to their Indian heritage. â€Å"The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, humor allows his