this is what means to say phoenix arizona
Symbolism in "This is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona"
In a story, object, action or graphic symbol can be used as allegories or metaphors to create symbolism. "This is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona" by Sherman Alexie is a story augmented by imagery. The story discusses the mental haunting and painful concrete journey of Victor, a young Native American man from the state of Washington who goes all the way to Arizona to claim his late begetter's estate and remains. During the ride, Victor is accompanied by his friend, Thomas Builds-the-Fire who on their way understands Victor's loss. Victor with the help of his friend, Thomas learns most his Indian culture, his father and himself. While the story addresses the deplorable life journey of Victor, Alexie symbolically introduces to the audience the tattered relationships and search of self-identity from the Native American betoken of view.
Phoenix despite being the proper noun of the identify, it has been used every bit a symbol. Phoenix is a mythical Egyptian bird, which means renewal, rebirth, and destruction (Lizleafloor). In ancient Arab republic of egypt, Phoenix bird is associated with the sun, and it dies and resurrects in different cultures and generations throughout the fourth dimension. As such, Phoenix has been used metaphorically to symbolize the resurrection of Victor when he finally obtains his identity through his dead father. Victor travels to Arizona to seek his rebirth. Alexie does not merely portray Victor as a grapheme who is but after his father's ashes, but besides afterward the ashes of his own life, and Victor appears set up to grasp what belongs to him. Victor's journeying to Phoenix in Arizona depicts his quest for the self-identity, and he regenerates himself when he collects his father's ashes. Victor does not necessarily enter his begetter's trail to look for valuable material things, but rather for the search of his identity. Once Victor enters the trail, he comes out as a person who has already seen his begetter. Victor has been reborn, and he bears a pic of a new person unlike earlier.
Thomas Builds-the-Burn has been used to represent the theme of the strained human relationship that at the stop has grown into a fruitful friendship. When they were teenagers, Victor and Thomas' human relationship was tainted by a drunken fight. All the same, in the end, they turn out to be true friends who are out to assistance each other. Thomas appears to have reconciled with Victor, especially through his kindness and beloved. Thomas encourages Victor through promise and his vision, particularly when he tells he met Victor'southward begetter when he was thirteen years sometime.
"I call up when I had this dream that told me to go to Spokane, to stand by the Falls in the center of the city and wait for a sign. I knew I had to go there, but I didn't accept a motorcar. Didn't have a license. I was only xiii. And then I walked all the way, took me all day, and I finally made it to the Falls. I stood there for an hour waiting. Then your dad came walking up" (Alexie eight). Thomas' story is an encouragement to Victor that he should stay hopeful and perhaps ane day he will see his male parent. Fifty-fifty though, it is a tiresome journeying victor must have a vision finding his identity through his male parent. Victor emotionally sees his father when he collects his father'southward ashes in the trail. He feels a new person who is determined to create his own path.
The story exemplifies a journey theme that literally occurs in a airplane to Phoenix and route trip back to Washington. Symbolically, the journey presents the long process Victor has to undergo in the search for his identity. The plane ride to Phoenix also depicts the strained human relationship between the people and the U.S government like Victor who had had a weak bond with his father, who neglected him when he was young. For example, the two friends run into Cathy, the gymnast the only American participated in the 1980 Olympic Games, which America never supported. Alexie illustrates that the strained human relationship is not merely at the family level but too at the land level. As such the strained relationship is a common affair in the American civilization. Through the journey to Phoenix and back, and Cathy's presence, Alexie presents Victor's journey of knowing his self and the citizen'due south efforts of mending the out of mitt relationship between them and the government as well every bit individuals and their families.
The journey dorsum to dwelling shows Victor's realization of his identity, and every bit a result, he is ready to accept control of his ain life. On their way back, Thomas accidentally hits the jackrabbit, and they cause the rabbit causing its death. The excuse offered by the two friends portrays Victor and his father's power to avoid detrimental things in their lives, simply they never did and so. However, now Victor is ready to take control of his life and illustrates this when he takes back the wheel from Thomas and drives to the reservation. Victor does not want to be similar his father or jackrabbit, and equally such he is conscious in taking accuse of his ain life path.
Despite the pursuance of self-identity and tense relations explored in the story, Alexie shows that the existent story through the character of Victor. As a protagonist, Victor appears at the end of the story not only as a inverse man just someone who can change. In the stop, Victor has regenerated his identity, and he has cached painful past experiences including a drunk fight with Thomas and his begetter negligence. He has reconciled with his male parent also as Thomas, and now he is in peace with is himself. Equally a sign of amends, he gives Thomas share his father's ashes, with Thomas both agree to go to Spokane Falls to spread the ashes. "I'grand going to travel to Spokane Falls one final time and toss these ashes into the h2o. And your father will ascent similar a salmon, jump over the span, over me, and find his mode home" (Alexie 12). Thomas makes Victor smile, and at the same time, Victor recognizes the bond between Thomas and his father. Henceforth, Victor views Thomas as office of his own story. Having beaten and abandoned Thomas before, Victor feels that he had had an opportunity to repossess part of himself which he has lost in the past.Alexie has used a condensed and imagery linguistic communication through objects, places, characters and actions to explain strained relationships and quest for the self-identity. Victor and his father appeared to take had a shaky relationship since Victor seems to know little about his begetter. Victor had also had a cleaved human relationship with his friend Thomas when they were young. The effect of weak ties is not just witnessed at the family and personal interaction levels merely also the national level. For example, the American government has a sour relationship with its citizens as presented by Cathy, the only American athlete who represented the land in the Olympic Games. Alexie uses metaphors such as fire, Phoenix, journey and actions to express a deeper meaning that calls for the readers' interpretation to unravel the subconscious message.
Source: https://courseresearchers.com/symbolism-in-what-it-means-to-say-phoenix/
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