Phase
3 Prompt 4:
This
prompt refers directly to the deep longing of young men to be warriors and why.
Especially what is the particular desire for young Native American men today
and what fuels their desire to be warriors. Finally, discussing what frustrates
its fulfillment of becoming a warrior like the old days.
Sherman
Alexie’s story “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven” discusses the
desire and disappointments for young Native American men wanting to be
warriors.
The
question is what, does it mean to be a warrior? According to County Facts,
Native Americans desire to be a warrior is as follow. In the old days, being a
warrior was considered to be a noble thing. Warriors were held in the upmost
respect and they were treated as such. The warriors were considered to be the
upper class of the tribe. Meaning, they wore special headdresses and when
battles were won, dances were dedicated to that specific moment. But mostly,
warriors made names for them, names that would be remembered over time, like Qualchan
(99). His name is remembered, whether or not it is remembered for the things
that he did is a different story. All of those reasons listed above are considered
they best aspects of being a warrior. Because warriors were regarded in such
high respects, being selected as a warrior was a great desire. Young men who
wanted to be warriors were sent to go on a vision quest that would challenge
them body, mind, and soul. Upon returning from the quest, they would begin
training. Warriors were not necessarily needed until the settlers moved in and
began to take the Native Americans land.
Alexie
mentioned becoming a warrior multiple times. The most memorable story about
becoming a warrior was when Victor (one of the main characters) asked Thomas
(another of the main characters) to tell him a story. It is known that Thomas
is the storyteller in the tribe, and he is often ignored when he tells a story.
This particular story, Victor has asked for a story. Thomas closes his eyes and
tells Victor this story, “There were these two Indian boys who wanted to be
warriors. But it was too late to be warriors in the old way. All the horses
were gone….” (The story continues on page 63). This story begins by stating
that it is too late to be a warrior like in the old way. Being a warrior is a
great honor. These young Indian boy crave being warriors because it would
please their families and bring them honor. At the end of Thomas’s story, he
says that when the boys return from their quest they are greeted with their
friends and families cheering and their “eyes shone with pride.” How can these
Indian boys become warriors if, as Thomas stated all the horses are gone? How
can they make a name for themselves and become a hero (15)?
The
young Native American men as Alexie has depicted have this strong desire to
become warriors because of how it would change their lives forever in a
positive way. But, what frustrates the fulfillment of becoming a warrior is the
means to do it, as well as have an enemy to steal horses from. At least in the
old days the warriors had horses to steel from. Stealing horses from opposing
tribes, or the white man was intended to cripple the fight. Removing the white
mans Calvary ensured a more fair battle. In our times now, there is no horse to
steal to cripple the enemy. There is no enemy that they can fight. The way that
the Indians fight is by stealing cars, just to show they can. That is the only
way for them to make a name for one and to be a hero. At least according to
Alexie. The fuel for becoming a warrior is respect. A higher social class, a
great honor, and to make a new name for oneself that is “not like a bad pair of
shoes.”
Works
Cited:
·
Alexie,
Sherman. The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. New York:
Atlantic Monthly, 1993. Print.
·
"Interesting
Facts & Information: Tourism, Travel, Culture, Language, Business, People.
» Blog Archive » Native American Indians Warriors." Interesting Facts
& Information: Tourism, Travel, Culture, Language, and Business, People. »
Blog Archive » Native American Indians Warriors. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sept.
2012.
<http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/articles/usa/Native-American-Indians-Warriors/2283>.
·
"The
Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven Quotes." By Sherman Alexie.
N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2012.
<http://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/829351-the-lone-ranger-and-tonto-fistfight-in-heaven>.
[755]
This is a great post Brianna! It gave me a lot to think about. I agree with you that the native boys wanted to be warriors in order "to change their lives in a positive way", but I have a different opinion on why! I do not really see Thomas and Victor wanting to do this because of honor and making their families proud. (Which I know would be very beneficial). But I think that the long to be warriors because it is the opposite lifestyle of their lives now. Right now they are uneducated, poor, and alcoholics. The life of a warrior is someone who is strong, smart, and rich in wealth and honor (most warriors are not obsessed with drink either)! In my opinion, they want to be warriors because that is exactly what they are not. Why exactly do you think that they want to be warriors? It is interesting to think about because we all have different views and opinions on each character!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I’ll be honest and say I can’t really determine the reason why being a warrior is such a sought after dream. Maybe they associate warriors with regaining what they’ve lost. In “A Drug Called Tradition,” Victor dreams about Crazy Horse becoming the United States President. This shows he holds the famous warrior Crazy Horse in the highest regards. If I remember history correctly, Crazy Horse was one of the Indian leaders who fought in the Battle of Little Bighorn (I think this battle occurred in 1876, but don’t quote me on that). Crazy Horse’s victory over General Custer symbolizes Indian triumph over the “white” enemy. Maybe Victor associates not being able to become warriors with defeat. Victor may wish to fight again, to change the state of things and not fall into the alcoholic and depressed tendencies that his tribe has succumb to. However, the war is over, and as you stated there are no horses left to steal. Nothing left but to retreat to the bottle.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Brianna! You made some great connections. Like Erik, I don't completely understand why being a warrior is something they all seem programmed to desire. However, I think Alexie emphasizes this in his stories because it connects the people on the reservation to their culture like in "A Drug Called Tradition." It could also explain the drinking on a deeper level. The Indians traditionally earned their name as a warrior and a place in their tribe which gave them a sense of purpose. In a modern day, the men cannot earn their place as they traditionally had as Brianna stated. I believe that not being able to fill this tradition makes them feel a severe lack of purpose. With a lack of purpose and being stuck on the reservation, the men are driven to drink. Like Eric said, the war is over and there is nothing else to do but retreat to the bottle. Do you think that Alexie purposely emphasizes the desire to be a warrior specifically in "A Drug Called Tradition" when the characters are younger and then we see their drinking problems when they are older?
ReplyDeleteGreat post, I agree with Brandi that the young boys wanted to be warriors because they weren't satisified with the lives they were living. So they wanted to as, as Brianna said ' "make a new name for oneself that is “not like a bad pair of shoes.” 'Adressing Marilyn's question, I think Alexie does porposely emphasize the desire when they are younger because they want to prevent becoming struggling alchoholics with low income like the majority of the grown men on the reservation.
ReplyDeleteWhy do little boys want to be super heroes? Why do young girls want to be princesses? I think that the male youth of the reservation want to be warriors be they are the "super heroes" of their culture. They get to have special visions, go on special tasks, and protect their family and tribe. These privileges would give them emotional and physical strength and recognition. I think regardless of the state of the life they were living, people always have some ideal or exaggerated form of themselves that they want to live up to. Sometimes it is something unreachable, like superman, but other times it is something possible, like a warrior. Brandi- I agree that they want to be warriors because it is everything they are not. That is such a natural human want though: to be something you are not.
ReplyDeleteVery informative post. i really enjoyed it. i did not know that warriors in native tribes were considered the upper class. Now, taking this into consideration it changes my view on why they wanted to become warriors. at first i thought it was just a form of seeking revenge against the whit manm, a way to fight back, if they would be warriors then they could fight. But now i think they want to be warriors for the honor it brings within the community as well. It would give them a purpose in a world that otherwise they felt they had no place in.
ReplyDeleteBrianna, you have made awesome observations about what it means to be a warrior and what implications that has on their lives. Something that I picked up on throughout the book and can be related to the distance that is created for Thomas Builds-a-Fire is that they want to be a respectable people again. This is evident when they steal the car and return it. Not only do they want to be respectable, but to be a warrior means to have and exhibit courage. They are lacking this quality because they continually succumb to alcohol and drugs constantly. If they were to be a warrior then they would be able to take control of their lives, but to also restore respect.
ReplyDelete