Friday, May 4, 2007
End of Class
All in all I thought that this class was really fun. When I came into this class, I had expectations that were pretty low because I thought all we were going to do was write. It turns out that we did a lot more than just write. I really enjoyed how we were able to watch movies and tie them in with our writing. Although movies are not books, they were written as screen plays before they were shot. Therefore I think that movies are a lot like books. I really enjoyed coming to this class because of the discussions that we had. I also think that these blogs were a good idea because it gave me and my other classmates the ability to look at other peoples work as well as comment on some of their stuff. All in all i really enjoyed the class.
Final Paper
Everyone takes a journey back to their heritage at some point in their life. Whether it is as simple as eating a certain food that one used to eat or as drastic as changing ones current habits to old traditional rituals, everyone experiences it. In some cases this journey can be bad and in other cases it can be very good. After watching “Smoke Signals” and reading “The toughest Indian in the World”, I decided that there is a significant journey that takes place. The main character in each story takes a journey through their present life, searching for their old traditions and roots. Although it may not seem like they are taking a journey back to their roots on the outside, if you dig deeper you will find the true meaning in each of these stories.
In the short story, “The Toughest Indian in the World” by Sherman Alexie, the narrator is driving down the road thinking about the times when he was a young boy and how his dad used to pick up only the Indian hitch hikers and just pass right by the white hitch hikers. This little thought by the narrator, although subtle, is a small journey back in time. As the story moves on, the narrator sees a hitch hiker walking down the road. As he gets closer he realizes that it is an Indian. After some quick mental deliberation, the narrator decides to pull over and pick up the Indian. As soon as the Indian sits down into the car, the narrator can tell that he is a fighter. The fighter is huge and has scarred hands from all of the previous fights he had fought. During the car ride, the two Indians exchange some stories and carry on a casual conversation, learning a little bit about each other. As the trip comes to an end, the narrator invites the fighter to come stay with him in his hotel room so that the fighter doesn’t have to sleep outside. The fighter is very hesitant but finally decides to stay at the hotel. During the middle of the night the fighter crawls into bed with the narrator. The narrator is very confused about what is going on and can’t really comprehend what is about to happen. The two Indians have sex and then the narrator goes to the bathroom feeling very violated and very confused. The narrator asks the fighter to leave and then falls asleep. The next morning the narrator wakes up and begins walking towards his old home barefooted. Now this story may just seem like it’s a story about a homosexual encounter, when truly that is not the case. Although the sex scene was a bit graphic, there is a much deeper meaning. Throughout the narrator’s entire trip, he began to experience a journey that would eventually lead him to his roots. The gay sex scene simply represents the narrator finding himself and realizing what he wants. The narrator simply wants to take a journey back to his roots. This story symbolizes the narrator’s life. The first part of the story symbolizes the narrator’s youth, because he was driving in a car like he had done so many times with his dad. When the narrator picked up the fighter, that symbolized his teenage/young adult life, because he had grown up and wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to do. The last part of the story symbolizes his adulthood because he is so unsure about his life at this point. His wife is controlling and he isn’t sure what he wants to do, until the end when he finally starts walking towards home.
In the movie, “Smoke Signals” by Sherman Alexie, the main character Victor and his friend Thomas take a journey. When Victor was young, his dad left both him and his mom and moved down to Phoenix, Arizona. During the time that Victor’s dad was down there, Victor took care of his mom and acted as if he never even had a dad. It wasn’t until Victor was in high school, that his dad died. When the news came to Victor and his mom, they were both upset. Victor’s mom decides that Victor needs to go down to Phoenix to get his dad’s belongings. At first Victor does not want to go at all and says that he doesn’t have enough money, but then Thomas tells him that he will buy the bus tickets for Victor as long as Victor lets Thomas tag along. Throughout the entire trip down, Thomas is telling Victor story after story and Victor is growing tired of having Thomas’ company. When they finally arrive in Phoenix, Victor becomes very scared and wonders if he had made the right decision about taking this journey. After talking with Victor’s dad’s neighbor, Victor decides that he must go into his dad’s trailer. Once inside, Victor begins to have all sorts of flash backs and starts to remember things about his dad. This short scene about Victor reminiscing is a key point in the movie. On the outside it just looks like Victor is sad, but on the inside he is taking a journey back to his heritage. He is taking a journey back to his younger Indian days. Thomas and Victor leave very early the next morning, without even saying goodbye. The car ride home is filled with Thomas’s stories, but Victor doesn’t say a word, He only thinks to himself. During the night, Victor crashes his dad’s truck and has to run to a hospital to get help for a lady that was involved in a different wreck. During Victor’s run, he imagines himself running like a traditional Indian and he begins to think about his dad. During this entire journey, Victor experiences many mental journeys. These small mental journeys that Victor takes is how he tries to go back to his roots.
Perhaps both of these stories represent dreams, the types of dreams that people experience everyday. Dreams are supposed to symbolize meaning in ones life. Well perhaps these stories are just dreams and they are trying to show the characters what they need to look for in their life, which is heritage. These dreams may be symbolizing their true heritage, and showing the characters how to find their way back to their old ways.
Throughout both of these stories, many journeys were taken. Some of them were small mental journeys, like in “Smoke Signals”, and some of them were actual walking journeys, like in “The toughest Indian in the World.” No matter how these journeys were taken, they were both ways to get back to their heritage and old ways. Both of these stories symbolize heritage and old ways. These two things are the building blocks of who we are. No one would be who they were without their background and heritage. The reason everyone falls back on their old ways when they have nothing left to hold on too is because that is what they know best and it comes so natural. In both of these stories, the characters just want to find their old ways because at this point, they have nothing left to hold on too. Whether these stories are real, or merely dreams, the characters in both stories are searching for their heritage and old ways.
In the short story, “The Toughest Indian in the World” by Sherman Alexie, the narrator is driving down the road thinking about the times when he was a young boy and how his dad used to pick up only the Indian hitch hikers and just pass right by the white hitch hikers. This little thought by the narrator, although subtle, is a small journey back in time. As the story moves on, the narrator sees a hitch hiker walking down the road. As he gets closer he realizes that it is an Indian. After some quick mental deliberation, the narrator decides to pull over and pick up the Indian. As soon as the Indian sits down into the car, the narrator can tell that he is a fighter. The fighter is huge and has scarred hands from all of the previous fights he had fought. During the car ride, the two Indians exchange some stories and carry on a casual conversation, learning a little bit about each other. As the trip comes to an end, the narrator invites the fighter to come stay with him in his hotel room so that the fighter doesn’t have to sleep outside. The fighter is very hesitant but finally decides to stay at the hotel. During the middle of the night the fighter crawls into bed with the narrator. The narrator is very confused about what is going on and can’t really comprehend what is about to happen. The two Indians have sex and then the narrator goes to the bathroom feeling very violated and very confused. The narrator asks the fighter to leave and then falls asleep. The next morning the narrator wakes up and begins walking towards his old home barefooted. Now this story may just seem like it’s a story about a homosexual encounter, when truly that is not the case. Although the sex scene was a bit graphic, there is a much deeper meaning. Throughout the narrator’s entire trip, he began to experience a journey that would eventually lead him to his roots. The gay sex scene simply represents the narrator finding himself and realizing what he wants. The narrator simply wants to take a journey back to his roots. This story symbolizes the narrator’s life. The first part of the story symbolizes the narrator’s youth, because he was driving in a car like he had done so many times with his dad. When the narrator picked up the fighter, that symbolized his teenage/young adult life, because he had grown up and wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to do. The last part of the story symbolizes his adulthood because he is so unsure about his life at this point. His wife is controlling and he isn’t sure what he wants to do, until the end when he finally starts walking towards home.
In the movie, “Smoke Signals” by Sherman Alexie, the main character Victor and his friend Thomas take a journey. When Victor was young, his dad left both him and his mom and moved down to Phoenix, Arizona. During the time that Victor’s dad was down there, Victor took care of his mom and acted as if he never even had a dad. It wasn’t until Victor was in high school, that his dad died. When the news came to Victor and his mom, they were both upset. Victor’s mom decides that Victor needs to go down to Phoenix to get his dad’s belongings. At first Victor does not want to go at all and says that he doesn’t have enough money, but then Thomas tells him that he will buy the bus tickets for Victor as long as Victor lets Thomas tag along. Throughout the entire trip down, Thomas is telling Victor story after story and Victor is growing tired of having Thomas’ company. When they finally arrive in Phoenix, Victor becomes very scared and wonders if he had made the right decision about taking this journey. After talking with Victor’s dad’s neighbor, Victor decides that he must go into his dad’s trailer. Once inside, Victor begins to have all sorts of flash backs and starts to remember things about his dad. This short scene about Victor reminiscing is a key point in the movie. On the outside it just looks like Victor is sad, but on the inside he is taking a journey back to his heritage. He is taking a journey back to his younger Indian days. Thomas and Victor leave very early the next morning, without even saying goodbye. The car ride home is filled with Thomas’s stories, but Victor doesn’t say a word, He only thinks to himself. During the night, Victor crashes his dad’s truck and has to run to a hospital to get help for a lady that was involved in a different wreck. During Victor’s run, he imagines himself running like a traditional Indian and he begins to think about his dad. During this entire journey, Victor experiences many mental journeys. These small mental journeys that Victor takes is how he tries to go back to his roots.
Perhaps both of these stories represent dreams, the types of dreams that people experience everyday. Dreams are supposed to symbolize meaning in ones life. Well perhaps these stories are just dreams and they are trying to show the characters what they need to look for in their life, which is heritage. These dreams may be symbolizing their true heritage, and showing the characters how to find their way back to their old ways.
Throughout both of these stories, many journeys were taken. Some of them were small mental journeys, like in “Smoke Signals”, and some of them were actual walking journeys, like in “The toughest Indian in the World.” No matter how these journeys were taken, they were both ways to get back to their heritage and old ways. Both of these stories symbolize heritage and old ways. These two things are the building blocks of who we are. No one would be who they were without their background and heritage. The reason everyone falls back on their old ways when they have nothing left to hold on too is because that is what they know best and it comes so natural. In both of these stories, the characters just want to find their old ways because at this point, they have nothing left to hold on too. Whether these stories are real, or merely dreams, the characters in both stories are searching for their heritage and old ways.
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