Peter 1 Laura Peter Professor Carlson English 104 19 February 2014 Sometimes It Just Takes a Little Humor Over

the years, it has become common for Indians to be looked at as being of less importance than other humans just because of their race. They deal with the constant alcoholism stereotypes, along with strange looks because of their different appearance. Many people see Native Americans that live on reservations as moving backwards, instead of forward along with the rest of society because of their different culture and beliefs. Because they are looked at differently by others in society, Indians are fighting a constant battle with trying to fit in and live a normal life when they are not on the reservation. Through studying different Native writers it is possible to learn about some of these struggles through their own personal experiences. Although these are serious topics, the authors use a creative sense of humor in order to help readers better understand and to also lighten such sensitive issues. Stereotypes are not uncommon. They range from college students living off of ramen noodles and coffee, to blondes being ditsy and dumb. Of course these stereotypes are not too harsh and some are even the source of humor such as the well-known blonde jokes. Not all stereotypes are as light, such as many, if not all, that are given to Native Americans. Most Americans have heard of them; Indians are alcoholics, they are only good at fighting and hunting, and they all have long, dark hair. For anyone that knows an Indian, they know that these are not always true.

Peter 2 Throughout his writings, Sherman Alexie does a fabulous job of showing the seriousness of these topics, but by including humor he allows his readers to laugh at what is normally an unhumorous topic. This can be seen throughout the movie Smoke Signals. Arnold Joseph, Viktors dad, portrays the typical Indian who drinks and gets angry, while Viktor on the other hand goes against all stereotypes when he states that he has never had a drop of alcohol in his life. Arnold is not portrayed as always being a mean drunk, which can be seen through the humor during the scenes of parties where it is apparent everyone is having a good time. Alexie also mentions this same topic in Indian Education. He uses a basketball game and a school dance to lighten the idea of a young boy passing out. We then are faced with the realization of the stereotype when the teacher comes in and says, Hey. . . Whats that boy been drinking? I know all about these Indian kids. They start drinking real young (Alexie 626-629). With the teachers immediate concern being how much alcohol had been consumed instead of the boys health, we are able to see the sad reality of stereotyping an entire group of people. Native writers not only use humor to lighten the tone of racial stereotyping, but also write about experiences with Indians not fitting in with the rest of society. Alexie uses more of a sad humor to get his point across on this topic. In The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight In Heaven, Alexie hits the nail on the head with this powerful encounter between an Indian and an officer. Well you should be more careful where you drive. . . Youre making people nervous. You dont fit the profile of the neighborhood (Alexie 463-466). The Indian is afraid to say anything to the white officer, but thinks to himself I didnt really fit the profile of the country

(Alexie 463-466). Although this is not the witty humor often seen in Alexies writing, he uses his creative style to make this one statement leave a lasting and meaningful impression. Peter 3 Indians are often judged by their appearance. In Louise Erdrichs Skunk Dreams she has a creative way of comparing humans to skunks, an animal that most people usually try to avoid. She states, Skunks dont mind each others vile perfume. Obviously, they find each other more than tolerable. And even I, who have been in the presence of a direct skunk hit, wouldnt classify their weapon as mere smell. It is more on the order of a reality-enhancing experience (Erdrich 321-323). It is amusing to think of a skunks smell as anything other than negative, but this is exactly what Erdrich does. She uses humor to discuss a serious topic. If skunks are able to tolerate and get along with each other even with their terrible smell, then why are humans unable to do the same just because someone looks different? Smoke Signals also discusses the correct Indian attire. Viktor comes across as the more typical Indian with the long, free hair and the clothes to match, while Thomas does not look as much like an average Indian with his hair securely braided into pigtails. Thomas appearance is the cause for laughter throughout the movie, especially the large glasses he and his grandmother wear. Alexie also makes his humor apparent when Thomas changes his clothing in an attempt to look more like an Indian. He walks out of the clothing store wearing a t-shirt with fry bread on the front, causing almost anyone watching the movie to laugh. Because of their appearances and customs many people think that Indians living on reservations are not moving forward along with the rest of society, but instead possibly moving backward. In Smoke Signals two women are seen driving their car in reverse, causing instant

laughter. Although this is funny, it also causes the viewers to ponder what Alexies deeper meaning is. He is showing the people living on the reservation moving in an opposite direction than the rest of the world. Peter 4 Alexie also mentions this topic in Indian Educaiton. In the fourth grade the young boys teacher tells him he should be a doctor. You should be a doctor when you grow up. . . So you can come back and help the tribe. So you can help heal people (Alexie 626-629). Many Indians living on the reservations did not receive a solid education so becoming a doctor in the future seemed nothing but a dream. At the same time people outside of the reservations living in cities were hoping to get high paying jobs, seeming to live a completely different lifestyle than many Native Americans. Many people often think that they know all about Indians; however, they only know what they let themselves believe. In his interview with Bill Moyer, Sherman Alexie stated that he knows a lot more about being white than whites know about being Indian. Many people base their opinions on Native Americans from what they hear from others and not on the truth. Society often becomes so caught up in the stereotypes that people forget what is real and what is not. Sometimes it just takes a little humor to understand the bigger picture of such serious topics.

Peter 5 Works Cited Alexie, Sherman. Indian Education. Trout 626-629. Alexie, Sherman. The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight In Heaven. Trout 463-466. Erdrich, Louise. Skunk Dreams. Native American Literature. Ed. Lawana Trout. Lincolnwood, Illinois: NTC Publishing Group, 1999. Print. Smoke Signals. Dir. Chris Eyre. A ShadowCatcher Entertainment Production, 1998. DVD. Trout, Lawana, Ed. Native American Literature. Lincolnwood, Illinois: NTC Publishing Group, 1999. Print.