Native American Issues

Paper Summary:

Discusses impact of racism & ethnicity on Native Americans. Compares 2 works of fiction: THE LONE RANGER AND TONTO FISTFIGHT IN HEAVEN, Sherman Alexie's collection of short stories, and Louise Erdrich's novel TRACKS. Contends that all Alexie's stories are pessimintic & cynical with major theme of individual rather than cultural survival. Cites Erdrich's portrayal of Native Americans continuing their struggle to maintain their cultural heritage as containing more subtleties of life & complexi6y of narrative & structure than Alexie's stories.

From the Paper:

"This study will discuss race and ethnicity, specifically issues related to Native Americans, in two works by Native American writers, Sherman Alexie's The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven and Louise Erdrich's Tracks. While both works of fiction fully accept the negative consequences of bias and bigotry exercised against Native Americans, Alexie's stories are far more dark and blunt, while Erdrich's novel is far more subtle and nuanced.


The title story in Alexie's collection of stories takes a deeply pessimistic perspective on the life of Native American characters. All of the stories, and especially the title story, are pessimistic, even cynical, though if one looks hard enough there are some signs of hope, such as the narrator's year of sobriety. However, that sobriety does not address the racism..."

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