Chapter 1 - Reservation Blues
#32469
Group
A: Ishneet, Lash, Carly, Megan, Connie, Diana
Plot:
Review the opening chapter. What kind
of background information do we receive?
Set on the Spokane
Indian Reservation in 1992 in a town called Wellpinit. The community is tight-knit
where everyone seems to know each other. As “not one person, Indian or
otherwise, had ever arrived there by accident," the reservation rarely drew
visitors (3). Also, the town benefits from some U.S.government subsidies, but
apparently not enough as its residents still live in poverty. The
government-built housing provided Thomas Builds-the-Fire with his own house, yet
it “had never really been finished because the Bureau ofIndian Affairs cut off
the building money halfway through construction. The water pipes froze every
winter, and the windows warped in the hot summer heat”(7).
Judging by this beginning, what is the purpose of the book? Who
is the audience?How do you know?i. Based off of the
beginning and also from Alexie’s interviews, I wouldguess that the purpose of
this book would be to shed light on the trueIndian way of life and their
struggles living in modern white America.Alexie seems to be writing this mostly
for the rest of the Americanaudience for this purpose. He goes into great
detail about the everydaylife of his fellow Indians which would not be
necessary if he were writingfor an Indian audience. Also, I would guess that
his references to CNNand DNA might not have relevance in the Indian culture
(9).
What types of conflict are at work in the
novel? Consider the specific internal(character
vs. self) and external (character vs. character or character vs. nature)conflicts.
A conflict in the novel is between Robert Johnson and The Gentleman.
In the novel, Thomas-Builds-the-Fire asks Robert Johnson who his traveling partner
is, Johnson replies saying “My best friend”. As he said my best friend he picked
up the guitar and said “But I ain’t gonna tell y’all his name. The Gentleman
might hear and come runnin’. He gets
into the strings, you hear?” Well from researching the book before reading it, Robert
Johnson is known as selling his soul to the devil so that he could be the best
blues musician of his time. Later in the book I have a feeling this will come up
again and Robert Johnson will be dealing with the devil.
What evidence of foreshadowing do you notice?
I can imagine that the
guitar will be playing an important role throughout the book through its
seemingly magical powers that Johnson claimed started when “[he] sold [his] soul
to the Gentleman so [he] could play this damn guitar better than anybody ever
played guitar” (8). Also, I imagine that Big Mom might play an important role
later, especially after Johnson journeyed out to visit her and the scene ended
with the line “Big Mom sat in her rocking chair and waited to greet her latest
visitor” (11). This is somewhat of a cliffhanger that I would imagine Alexie
would come back to later in the novel.
Setting:
Where is the story set? In
what time is it set?
The story is set on the
Spokane Indian Reservation, in 1992.
What might be the
significance of this particular time and location?
This could be significant because it serves
the purpose of the novel, being that Alexie wishes to show the Indian way of
life in a modern setting inAmerica.
What mood is evoked through Alexie’s description of the setting?
It seems Alexie indicated the setting to be barren and dangerous when he describes Robert
Johnson at the crossroads alone and waiting. So the mood seems to be cautious
and curious.
How does the setting seem to impact the
characters?
The setting in the year of 1992 indicates that the characters have
new modern technology that we have today. But some of those things are
not really accepted because they were given to them by the“white man”. Quite a
few times they mentioned the casino machines in the shops and more to come and
made a part of the law to have in the stores.
How
does the setting suggest the themes of the story?
Knowing that the res. still give the knowledge of
the old legends by heart and are guided by them. So the theme would seem to be
woven with mystery and magic.
Analyze the culture of the reservation. Describe the social and
religious values of the townspeople.
The reservation itself is
described as being isolated from the rest of the world, not even being shown on
a map. The residents of Wellpinit all know one another. There are many churches
on the reservation including“the Assembly of God Church, the Catholic Church
and Cemetery, thePresbyterian Church
an Cemetery” (1).
How does the community
differ from that of the reader?
Aside from being an Indian community, the main differences would
most likely be that it is a small, tight-knit, isolated community where everyone knows
each other opposed to how many of us live in larger communities where many of
our daily interactions are with strangers.
What does this story
suggest about Alexie’s attitudes towards the relationship between society and
the individual?
It may be possible that Alexie believes that the individual is
fairly insignificant in the scope of society. Or, possibly more so that
society dictates the life of the individual, just as the individual lives of the
Indians are dictated by American society.
Characters:
Do you view Alexie’s protagonist as a heroic figure? Why
(not)?
Thomas
seemed to be a simple man that lives humbly till he came across a stranger known
to be mysterious and to be avoided. But Thomas was different and wanted to
help the man and in return he was given a guitar. A guitar with a secret. In
appearance Thomas is the hero and we still think he will stay this way till the
end.
How is Thomas-Builds-a-Fire’s character
revealed throughi. Speech (Use words to conceal, Say one thing but do another,
Not say whatthey mean, Say more—or less—than they mean)1. Thomas’s speech seems confident in what he believes in and hemostly
does not take a negative tone with anyone, even if they areprovoking him. This
perfectly displays his calm approach
to life.ii. Actions (Is the action thoughtful or
impulsive? Is the action appropriate?What motivation lies behind the action? Is
the action influenced by thepast?)1. Going along with the same approach as his speech, Thomas’sactions
are thoughtful, calculated, and with a sense of purpose. Heknows that it would
be pointless to fight back when Victor usesviolence against him, and instead
“[he] didn’t say a word, didn’tstruggle, but thought It’s a good day to
die.It’s a good day to getmy ass kicked”
(14).iii. Appearance (attire, physical stature,
physical condition)1. Thomas’s appearance is described in great detail. His
differencefrom the rest of the tribe is highlighted by the fact that
“[a]lthoughthe Spokanes were mostly a light-skinned tribe, Thomas tanned toa
deep brown, nearly dark as the black man” (4). He also “wasn’tugly, though,
just marked by loneliness, like some red L wastattooed on his forehead” (4). This
goes along with the idea that heis an outcast from his tribe.iv. Background and history
(Gender, Race, Family, Socio-economic class,Religion)1. Being a male means Thomas has a male role in his community,and
it might also contribute to his loneliness. Not muchinformation seems to have
been given to his historical background
other than how we can
infer he is Spokane, he lives in poverty-likeconditions, and he probably
belongs to one of the Churches ofGod, just as most of his other fellow
tribesmen.v. What others say about them (From a trusted or unreliable source?
Basedon complete or only partial information? Objective or biased? Rational
oremotional (perhaps resentment or blind devotion)?1. Thomas seems to be a laughing stock in the
community, asmentioned “[when] he went out for his daily walks, Thomascradled
the guitar like a baby, oblivious to
the laughter all aroundhim” (11). Also, when he tries to make a deal with
Victor, Victorstates that “[i]t’s better than hearing another one of his
goddamnstories” (15). Victor, and probably the rest of the tribe, seems tobe
annoyed by Thomas’s ridiculous stories and therefore they writehim off. But
these stories show Thomas’s imagination andopenness to the world around him.c. Analyze other characters, focusing on their physical
descriptions, status in town,behavior, and the functions they play in the
story: Robert Johnson, Big Mom,Victor, Junior, Father Arnold, etc.i. Robert Johnson- “The black stranger surprised the whole tribe
when heappeared with nothing more than the suit he wore and the guitar slungover
his back”. Robert Johnson was a man in search of a lady to whocould lift the
curse he brought upon himself. He was a very secretive man,he didn't tell
people much about him and his guitar.ii. Thomas-Builds-the-Fire- Has a “old
blue van” and has “long, black hairpulled into braids, he looked like an
old-time salmon fisherman: short,muscular legs for the low center of gravity,
long torso and arms for theleverage to throw the spear.” Thomas was one of the
tribe members andthe first person who wanted to help Robert JOhnson and not
just stare athim at the crossroads. He is a very generous human being, he is
alwayslooking to help.
iii. Big mom- Cares a lot
for the horses that were slaughtered, wears a dress,might be able to fix Robert
Johnson’s problem with The Gentleman. SHehad some sort of powers to see the
future.iv. Victor Joseph- “Was the
reservation John Travolta”, also “still woreclothes from the disco era”, which
“his wardrobe made him an angryman”. He was a type of person who relied on his
past achievements andhis size to show his authority. He was big bully in the
tribe he broke theguitar that belonged to Robert Johnson but it was in the
possession ofThomas.Junior Polatkin - Is Victors sidekick, and smart compared
to other peoplein the tribe. He is “Tall, good-looking buck with hair like
Indians in themovies, long, purple-black, and straight, Junior was the
president of theNative American Hair Club”. He doesn't have the guts to get out
of hiscomfort zone and show everyone especially Victor who he actually is.
Hecan still be ruthless to people for entertainment when he’s with Victor buthe
also works and cares for his job unlike Victor.vi. Simon- A guy that buys water from Junior.vii. Father Arnold -
He doesn't think that God believes that the band formingtogether, performing,
and bringing crowds in from outside of the tribe. Hebelieves world peace is at
the top of the list of God. He used to sing in acollege band before he entered
the priesthood. He was always fascinatedby the priest because of his father
teaching him that a priest is the
highestof the men.
v.
Chapter
1 – Reservation Blues
1. What do the
description of Wellpinit and the towns people’s reaction to the appearance of Robert
Johnson tell us about the Indians living on the reservation?
In the description of Wellpinit, it sounds like a very small town
and not manypeople pass through it. In the novel it says “ not one person,
Indian or otherwise,had ever arrived there by accident. Wellpinit, the only
town on the reservation, did not exist on most
maps”. From reading this the reader can see that this town isvery quiet and
small considering its not seen on maps. In the book when theIndians that live
on the reservation see Robert Johnson, none of them do anythingother than
question why he is there. Unlike Thomas-Builds-the-Fire that goes upto Johnson
and helps him out.
2. What sets Thomas Builds-the-Fire apart from
the other Indians we meet in Chapter 1?a. Thomas is seen as a
misfit and a repetitive story teller."A
crowd of Indian kidshad gathered, because crowds of Indian kids are always
gathering somewhere, towatch Thomas Builds-the-Fire, the misfit storyteller of
the Spokane Tribe, talk toa strange black man and his guitar."(page 5).
But most of all what i find mostimportant that he was one of the few too still
know, live, and remember the oneways of the indian traditions and still holds
that close to him.
3. Explain the significance of dreams and
storytelling throughout the chapter.a. A huge part of Native American culture resonates through
storytelling. Much oftheir history (I believe) is passed down through
storytelling, and while the facts ofthe story may be a bit mythological and
hard to believe, the true meaning ispassed down in a metaphoric sense.
4. Describe the elements of magical realism at work in this chapter:
Robert Johnson, theshaman Big Mom, the
guitar, and music. What message do they convey?a. Robert Johnson’s story is that he sold his soul to the devil for
his musicalprowess. Big Mom’s story is said to have been alive 134 years before
the story’ssetting, so this could mean that she is kind of like a spirit that
watches over theIndian population and the surrounding nature as well. The
guitar shows magicalproperties when it fixes itself after Victor destroys it
and when it speaks toThomas. I can guess that the guitar, along with the music,
will be what saves theSpokane reservation from its ‘blues.’
5. What is the Indian attitude toward the Indian Health Service,
the Department of Housingand Urban Development, and the Bureau of Indian
Affairs? What’s the significance ofthe
narrator’s description of these organizations?a. The Indians seem to have a confused, indignant, and reluctant
attitude towardthese organizations. Thomas notes that the “Indian Health only
gave out dental
floss and condoms, and
Thomas spent his whole life trying to figure out the connection between the two”
(6). This is opposed to giving out helpful medical service (as Johnson needed at
the time). The attitude toward the HUD housing is shown in question 1a. The
attitude of the BIA is shown when the BIA contractor“decided to build a
sidewalk rather than lug the cement all the way back to the warehouse and fill
out complicated, unnecessary, and official government papers”(13). The narrator
in effect demonstrates how the government assistance programs are half-assed and
how America has turned its back on the NativeAmericans.
6. One challenge in the novel is that Alexie has not chosen to
tell the story in chronological order. The first flashback occurs on page 9,
taking us back to a dramatic event in 1858that sets the stage for the modern
events of the novel. Why does Alexie choose to haveus focus on this period in
time? (If you want to do more than infer, checkhttp://www.washingtonwars.net/spokane-yakima.htm.)
Alexie flashes back to the time when the
Americans are forcibly pushing out theIndians from their homeland. This is an
important part of the story as it provides insight as to why the Indian is in
the state that it is in. That is, it shows how the U.S. Government set the
Indian tribes up to fail. Through his metaphorical tones, Alexie tells this
story from the Native American point of view, a view that does not hold back in
showing the brutality of Native American
colonization.
Disc. Questions???:
1. FallsApart is Sherman Alexie’s domain name for his website, the
same name as LesterFallsApart. What could be the significance of this?
2.Why do
you think Junior puts up with Victor’s bad attitude when Junior seems so
much more educated and has seemingly higher moral standards?
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