In this poem, Sherman Alexie shows a side to him I have not seen before. He is full of utter hatred for Columbus and what he has done to both his tribe and the whole of Native American civilization.
His tone remains sarcastic when writing to Columbus, saying "Can you hear me over the white noise of your television set?" He is constantly attacking Columbus in this poem, taking everything that every American grew up believing and revealing the tragic truth about it.
Textbooks have been written misinforming peers of my generation on the truth of the pioneers and the Native Americans. Columbus and his lot were a cruel folk, making promises to the Native Americans and shamelessly breaking them.
Before reading this poem, I was indifferent to both Columbus and his national holiday. I now side with Alexie on the fact that Columbus is not the discoverer of America, but a person who did not know where he was going, accidentally ended up on Native American land and brutally killed off many innocent people. The pioneers truly bit the hand that fed them.
Columbus is not a hero in the eyes of the Native Americans, but is viewed as someone as vicious as Hitler to their people. He cast them away from their lands and now Native Americans are forced to live on reservations where they are living in poverty and are constantly escaping through alcoholism.
In the last stanza of his poem, Alexie mocks America saying that the first tree they destroy will be named America. This has multiple meanings that I think really demonstrate the overall tone of the poem. Firstly, the fact that Native Americans essentially live off of the land. Trees bear fruit and sustain life, and this was the Native American's main source. By naming the first tree they destroy America, Alexie is making a statement, because America tried to destroy the Native American heritage and way of life. By destroying a tree, they are destroying life, and by naming that destroyed tree America, they are stating that America has ruined their life.
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Smoke Signals.
Smoke Signals is a very accurate depiction of what occurs on Native American reservations.
It is a land that may appear beautiful to the traveler, but to the Native, is only a minuscule portion of the beautiful land that was once theirs.
A common theme of the film that is representative of many reservations is alcoholism. Drunkenness is forever entwined in the contemporary culture of Native Americans. It is a form of escape from poverty, hunger and the overwhelming thought of being pushed out of their land. We learn at the end of the movie that Arnold Joseph, due to his inebriation, caused the death of Thomas' parents.
Arnold's constant state of drunkenness also leads to him physically abusing both his wife and son, and in turn causes his son to never want to drink.
There are many jokes made on the reservation that would probably remain humorous among Native American tribes. When discussing the weather, the radio caster says, "It's a good day to be indigenous." The beautiful weather is something that correlates with the tribe and their nativity to the land.
Jokes are also being made about having to have a passport to leave the reservation because they view the United States as a country separate from the reservation.
Additionally, Victor's mother says "you know how Native Americans feel about signing papers", when he asks if he should sign a contract stating that he will return after leaving for Phoenix. Native Americans not feeling comfortable signing papers dates back to the pioneers who broke their promises and treaties by killing the ones who kept them alive.
Throughout flashbacks we see Arnold expressing his true feelings about people of European descent, among others, saying, "poof and they're gone". When Victor and Thomas travel to Arizona, Victor lectures Thomas about being more manly and warrior-like, something characteristic of Native Americans. In turn, white people will listen and respect. These two instances indicate an utter hatred for the whites who are known to have stolen the land of Native American's to claim as their own.
The two main characters in the film play an important role because of their polar differences to each other. Victor is a very cynical, realistic person. He understands how the tribe works and reflects his loss of hope in his bitter persona. Thomas on the other hand, is very energetic, inviting, happy and at times gullible.
Thomas tells beautifully orchestrated stories that capture the attention of his listeners.
I think that these two characters are representations of hopelessness and hope. Thomas has a chance to leave the reservation if he really wanted to because he has the mindset of that pertains to hope. Even though he loves his culture, his positive attitude and outlook on life can take him to higher, better places, if he simply chooses.
Victor's constant cynicism will not. Yes, it has kept him from drinking, but he still holds grudges with his father for leaving, so why would he want to leave? He believes that the reservation, even if in poverty, is his life. His negative views of people, judging people because they're white even if they appear kind, is something that can bring him down on pursuing things on life.
At the end of the film, he appeared to have let go, and had forgiven his father for his mistakes. The loss of his father is something that he struggled with, as almost every fatherless child, but he found closure, and we know this because he was able to share the ashes with Thomas, and release it into the river. This represents the peace that Victor has now made with himself on his father and overall view of the tribe.
It is a land that may appear beautiful to the traveler, but to the Native, is only a minuscule portion of the beautiful land that was once theirs.
A common theme of the film that is representative of many reservations is alcoholism. Drunkenness is forever entwined in the contemporary culture of Native Americans. It is a form of escape from poverty, hunger and the overwhelming thought of being pushed out of their land. We learn at the end of the movie that Arnold Joseph, due to his inebriation, caused the death of Thomas' parents.
Arnold's constant state of drunkenness also leads to him physically abusing both his wife and son, and in turn causes his son to never want to drink.
There are many jokes made on the reservation that would probably remain humorous among Native American tribes. When discussing the weather, the radio caster says, "It's a good day to be indigenous." The beautiful weather is something that correlates with the tribe and their nativity to the land.
Jokes are also being made about having to have a passport to leave the reservation because they view the United States as a country separate from the reservation.
Additionally, Victor's mother says "you know how Native Americans feel about signing papers", when he asks if he should sign a contract stating that he will return after leaving for Phoenix. Native Americans not feeling comfortable signing papers dates back to the pioneers who broke their promises and treaties by killing the ones who kept them alive.
Throughout flashbacks we see Arnold expressing his true feelings about people of European descent, among others, saying, "poof and they're gone". When Victor and Thomas travel to Arizona, Victor lectures Thomas about being more manly and warrior-like, something characteristic of Native Americans. In turn, white people will listen and respect. These two instances indicate an utter hatred for the whites who are known to have stolen the land of Native American's to claim as their own.
The two main characters in the film play an important role because of their polar differences to each other. Victor is a very cynical, realistic person. He understands how the tribe works and reflects his loss of hope in his bitter persona. Thomas on the other hand, is very energetic, inviting, happy and at times gullible.
Thomas tells beautifully orchestrated stories that capture the attention of his listeners.
I think that these two characters are representations of hopelessness and hope. Thomas has a chance to leave the reservation if he really wanted to because he has the mindset of that pertains to hope. Even though he loves his culture, his positive attitude and outlook on life can take him to higher, better places, if he simply chooses.
Victor's constant cynicism will not. Yes, it has kept him from drinking, but he still holds grudges with his father for leaving, so why would he want to leave? He believes that the reservation, even if in poverty, is his life. His negative views of people, judging people because they're white even if they appear kind, is something that can bring him down on pursuing things on life.
At the end of the film, he appeared to have let go, and had forgiven his father for his mistakes. The loss of his father is something that he struggled with, as almost every fatherless child, but he found closure, and we know this because he was able to share the ashes with Thomas, and release it into the river. This represents the peace that Victor has now made with himself on his father and overall view of the tribe.
Friday, March 14, 2014
American Smooth.
When I first heard the title, I immediately thought, it has to have a vibe to it.
When I heard the history of Rita Dove and her intellectually stimulating background, I thought of a beloved writer of mine, Toni Morrison.
It was then that I heard her recite her famous poem that I finally felt the Harlem Renaissance.
American Smooth is more than just a poem that is depicting the dancer.
It depicts a facet of the American way of life.
The constant need to be distracted from everyday routine, hard work, pain. The ever-present wanting of escape is achieved not only through dance,
but also through form.
From trying to remain in the correct position, chest perfectly risen, head turned slightly, tilted just enough to gaze past her partner's ear.
When this becomes natural, as natural as breathing,
she will focus on the euphoria felt from every movement of the dance.
It will become her peace, her happiness, her escape from the many terrors and downsides of the world.
And this, this becomes the essence of American Smooth.
When I heard the history of Rita Dove and her intellectually stimulating background, I thought of a beloved writer of mine, Toni Morrison.
It was then that I heard her recite her famous poem that I finally felt the Harlem Renaissance.
American Smooth is more than just a poem that is depicting the dancer.
It depicts a facet of the American way of life.
The constant need to be distracted from everyday routine, hard work, pain. The ever-present wanting of escape is achieved not only through dance,
but also through form.
From trying to remain in the correct position, chest perfectly risen, head turned slightly, tilted just enough to gaze past her partner's ear.
When this becomes natural, as natural as breathing,
she will focus on the euphoria felt from every movement of the dance.
It will become her peace, her happiness, her escape from the many terrors and downsides of the world.
And this, this becomes the essence of American Smooth.
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