In Sherman Alexies short stories This is what it means to say Phoenix, Arizona, and Indian
Education Alexie uses action and dialogue to show the struggles of an Indian culture in a
white mans world, putting the theme of race and social justice in a dilemma.
Alexie uses dialogue in the short story This is what it means to say Phoenix, Arizona, to
illustrate an ill-funded Indian reservation. After Victor had found out that his father had
passed away Victor needed money to retrieve his father remains, realizing that, [The only
people that] have money on a reservation, [are] the cigarette and fireworks salespeople.
People in the reservation truly dont have money but for the few that sell cigarettes and
fireworks, even the Tribal Council, [Has] a difficult time financially, only being able to
provide Victor with a hundred dollars for the retrievel of his fathers remains.
Alexie also uses action in the short story Indian Education to give a sense of predigest
against the Indian race. While in the second grade Alexies teacher makes him take a
separate spelling test designed for junior high students, and when he proved to her that he
could spell the words correctly she made him eat the test. The predigest missionary teacher
wanted Alexie to feel inadequate by giving him a harder test, even though he passed, the
teacher was in such rage that he did not fail she made him eat the test. The missionary
teacher has no respect for Alexie by calling him an, indian, indian, indian with no
capitalization, giving no sing of respect for his background.
Sherman Alexies short stories tell the stories of Indians in a racial and social injustice
world.