Ironing Sang

Ironing Sand

I was recently introduced to the Author Sherman Alexie when I read the book reservation blues. As with most authors I find enjoying I started to seek out other works by the same author. Many of Alexie's works include similar elements but one short story inpaticular stood out. "This Is What It Means To Say Phoenix, Arizona" was first published in 1994 and made for an amazing read. I genuenaly enjoyed the story as it caused me to reflect upon my own childhood and circumstances.

I realized that the main protagonist's isolation, while diffrent from my own, was still extremly similar. He never choose the isolation but was born into it. He found an outlet by telling stories from his culture. My outlet came in the form of writing. I guess its almost the same thing but the most important part is that we both try to build a bridge to other people. My other take away from the story was to never forget a favor. The two main characters, Thomas and Victor, put aside their qualms and rely on each other to get through a painful circumstance.

The mutual circumstance they both share is being born and living on an indian reservation. This setting is the element of the story that seems to make the most subtle yet important impact on the story. The subtle part come from the fact that is never mentioned directly. The setting is of desert and reservation is mentioned only to move the character from place to place. That however is why the setting is so powerful.

During the story they move from the reservation to the desert in Phonix in order to pick up Victor's inhertience. Moving from an isolated familiar place to an unfamiliar isolated place cause the character to cling together tighter. They remain together during the course of the trip and their friendship builds as the walls of isolation reservation life have been striped away. Once their buisness is concluded they head back to the reservation and the same familiar isolation take hold and they seperate agian but their characteristics have been changed by the time together.

Character development is as important to the story as setting but is much more dirrect. However Alexie devlopes his characters by causeing them to interact with circumstance and other characters. By using circumstance he gives backround information, motivation, and relationship to other characters in the story. Thomas particular motivation is to teach. He does this through stories which he is constantly telling - even though no