As presented by: Stephen BiondoChristine Brandon

Milton Lopez

“Alexie’s humor is central to a constructive social and moral purpose evident throughout his fiction…He uses humor—or his characters use humor—to reveal injustices, protect self-esteem, heal wounds and create bonds.” (pg. 1)

“He use’s humor to reveal injustice, protect self-esteem, heal wounds, and create bonds” (Page 1)

A) Corliss’s thoughts while the man is trying to pick up the woman by quoting W.H. Auden.

B) When Corliss’s family is talking about “white folk”, which reveals injustice while her family is trying to create a bond with Corliss.

“Alexie not only avoids the moral and social obligation to educate white readers and reinstall cultural pride in Indian readers, he also works actively against such goals with his humor” Page 1

A) Richard fighting in a pickup basketball game, funny in a way but definitely give the readers and opportunity to look down upon Indians.

“Alexie’s humor unsettles conventional ways of thinking and compels re-evaluation and growth” (Page 2)

Not only humor, but overall story line.

Ex: Richard’s fight in basketball game

There are certain things that everyone can relate to, for instance, the need to find your own niche. We see this through Corliss, but we can also relate this need to belong, to our own lives, and that is something which is multicultural, everyone can relate to that drive.

Seymour’s friends who are still at the reservation accuse him of selling out to white society, just as Corliss’s family does to her.

Alexie’s movies and books share similar ideas.

“Readers are not passive receptacles; they engage, question, resist, learn, and grow during the reading process.” Page 3

Ex: Frank Snake Church’s retirement from basketball, then un-retiring 20+ years later.◦ This tells the audience that by going back to

basketball he is “healing the wound” of his lost father.

Coulombe quotes Alexie saying, that his characters are “as fucked up as everybody else.”◦ Meaning that everyone deals with the same

types of issues as these characters. He strives to create characters which

epitomize normalcy so that we can relate to them in some ways.

“Attempting to rise above his tragic personal situation, he[Alexie] projects himself as a world-famous sports star”

Ex: Frank Snake Church when each of his parent’s die.

Alexie says, “You make people laugh and you disarm them. You sort of sneak up on them. You can say controversial or rowdy things and they’ll listen or laugh”

Coulombe adds, “He uses humor to draw readers in and entertain them; once he has them he communicates his world view, one that does not necessarily reflect the comforting, traditional American ideals of equal opportunity and democratic justice for all.”

SummaryFirst it was humor, then mystery, and now a new language. That is

how Sherman Alexie communicates his feelings about

being a native Indian.

SummaryFirst it was humor, then mystery, and now a new language. That is

how Sherman Alexie communicates his feelings about

being a native Indian.

Douglas Fords’ article gives us another reason to see how confusing and complex Sherman Alexie is but yet very consistent in his style.

Douglas Fords’ article gives us another reason to see how confusing and complex Sherman Alexie is but yet very consistent in his style.

The attachment made to Catholicism by Alexie in order to show credibility.

The attachment made to Catholicism by Alexie in order to show credibility.