Comparison of Victor and Thomas in Smoke Signals

21. How does Victor look to others, feel about himself, and behave toward his family when he arrives

there are many similarities and differences between the boys traits. so victors traits are having a crush, not very good at a few subjects, and he is a very lucky boy. so in this story Victor says he wants to make teresa his girl this year (teresa is a girl in victors class). also he says hes not good at math and that the subject doesn’t make sense. he

Another example of the ancient Native American spirit on the reservation was given early in the movie, just as Victor and Thomas are beginning their journey to Phoenix. We see the duo walking side by side down a dirt road, and soon a beat up "reservation car" pulls up beside them carrying two women. The reservation car is old and worn down, dust caking

| Tom wants his old life back prior to the accident and he sees the accident as the end of his life as he knew it. He loses his sense of identity and sense of family in particular.Feels guilty and ashamed about the irrevocable consequences his brother’s irresponsibility had for other people and their familiesRetreats into a depressed state which feels empty and black.

Thomas introduced himself by saying, “I’m half magician on my mother’s side and half clown on my father’s” (Alexie, “This Is What” 286). Many people laughed at that joke and Cathy thought it was funny also, so they continue to have a conversation. Even though Victor is embarrassed at Thomas’s attempts to continue to talk with her, they realize that Cathy is friendly and they all enjoy talking to each other. Another example is Thomas says “Sounds like you all got a lot in common with Indians” (Alexie, “This Is what 286”). This joke made the situation awkward because nobody thought was funny. That shows that not everything is a joke and could get the people around him offended or mad. When the plane lands, Victor felt the need to say sorry and get the feeling out of his chest so he apologizes for beating up Thomas. Soon later they arrive at Victor’s father’s trailer. Victor’s father’s body was not found for a week, so the trailer smelled really bad and it is really hard for Thomas and Victor to go in to sort through the man's things. While they are looking and going through the trailer they both are telling stories about how they helped one another and how they will have each other’s

When they returned back to the reservation, Victor knew that he still could not be seen talking to Thomas for fear of being ridiculed for talking to the crazy storyteller. “Victor knew that he couldn’t really be friends with Thomas, even after all that had happened. It was cruel but it was real.” (Alexie P. 518) Victor in a way was thankful for Thomas’ help but seemed too proud to admit it to Thomas. Victor knows that Thomas would remain the crazy storyteller. In a way Victor felt ashamed of himself.

The movie Smoke Signals is based on the series of short stories written by Sherman Alexie. Just like any movie, there is a meaning to it. Before this movie, when I thought of the phrase "Native American" I thought of things like feathers and societies that were impeccable. But after watching the movie, Smoke Signals, it portrays what being a Native American really means. It is not all fun and games. The protagonist, Victor Joseph, has many hard aspects of his life, but throughout it all he grows mentally. His personality in the beginning of the movie is mean and despicable, he is filled with wrath, but as the movie goes on his personality grows gradually. By the ending of the movie, he was a nicer and kinder.

In the film Smoke Signals, Sherman Alexie displays the importance of past using action, flashbacks and storytelling. There was a fire when Victor and Thomas were only babies; both of Thomas’s parents died, but Arnold saved baby Thomas. Although Thomas doesn’t remember it, it affected his whole life dramatically. This flashback sets the stage for the idea that the past is why everything is how it is in the present. The scene where the girls are driving backwards down the road is a solid example of a metaphor for how looking at the past can help you progress into the future. After hearing a story that was a trade for a ride, Velma says “I think it’s a fine example of the oral tradition”. The metaphor we used for the backwards driving and

Thomas is the narrator and protagonist of the story. He arrives in the maze with no knowledge of who he is or was. He only remembers his name and nothing else about his life. Thomas proves to be brave and clever even though he only has a very limited memory of previous knowledge of the Maze. Since arriving in the maze, Thomas makes both friends and enemies and proves to be a leader among the other boys with him in the maze.

As Martin Luther King Jr. said, “We are not makers of history. We are made by history.” History plays a part in who we are as people, configuring us through our thoughts and actions. Such an idea of history’s importance in the building of one’s character manifests in the movie Smoke Signals. In Smoke Signals, author Sherman Alexie uses literary devices such as costumes, flashbacks, a detailed narrative, and other devices to create two distinct characters, Victor Joseph and Thomas Builds-The-Fire, that symbolize a clash between Native American culture and modern society through the theme of storytelling.

It wasn’t Thomas Mahogany’s fault he just tried to fix his problems. (Ten years earlier). He was sitting in his room crying because know one was there to comfort him, he complained towards God because he thought God took away his Mom, Dad, Brother, and Grandma. He was Just Angry at the world so he yelled and cried and complained in his room and he went downstairs to his Foster mom who was always drunk and couldn’t keep a job ever and asked if he could live in the basement to do some science experiments in the basement to relieve the stress on his feelings cause of life. The next day was Friday and Thomas Mahogany had to go to school, it was the 5th of March and he really did not want to go to school another day but he did anyway and he thought

Even though Thomas helped Victor in many ways Thomas is aware they cannot be friends after coming back from Arizona. After their journey Thomas does not expect anything in return. Thomas tells Victor, "I know you ain't going to treat me any better than you did before” (Alexie,1994). “I know your friends would give you too much shit about it” (Alexie,1994). It is also apparent that the author realizes it is not nice to treat people as Others but we still do. Even though Victor

The film Smoke Signals uses both humor and music to help give Thomas more importance as supposed to the book, where Thomas was a rather stagnant character. This is shown in the way the music is played in the background while Thomas is telling his stories, which helps us to view them in a different light breathing a new life into Thomas's character. Similarly humor is used in the same manner, in which it helps to make Thomas’ character more relatable to the viewers. Also in the movie, aside from the subtle change in his storytelling, we also get to see more of a development in Thomas’ character, and how his actions help to change and influence those around him; most noticeably Victor. This type of deep personal development is not seen with Thomas’

Throughout the story Victor replays moments in his mind. Times when he and Thomas were best of friends. Times when he loved listening to Thomas' visions about life and stories with hidden lessons. Times when Thomas was there for him and even a time when Thomas helped to save his life. The good memories turn to visions of Victor turning his back on his best friend. Victor is faced with the reality of his cruel actions and choices. Of how he chose to go with the rest of the 'pack' and attack the 'weak' one. Victor recalls being drunk when he was fifteen and beating up Thomas for the fun of it. How all of the other boys on the reservation just stood and watched and how he may have continued beating Thomas

     Throughout the story the Protagonist demonstrates a very unbalanced relationship with her family members. She feels intimidated by the world around her and turns her lack of knowledge into knowledge by controlling and influencing her younger brother Laird. She does so by telling him stories and exposing him to experiences she claims to be familiar with. In her later years her relationship with her brother becomes strong as they both realize they can benefit from each other’s experiences and differences. As a child the Protagonist viewed her father as God-like because he had control and organization over the lives and deaths of the foxes. In essence he became her hero as she admired his control over the animals. In her future relationship with her father she came to see that he was simply a business man and she made a great attempt to form a deeper relationship with her father. As she began to understand he was simply human and was no longer fearful of him. Her relationship with