As
this book continues, there’s a lot of focus on the Warm Water sisters. They seem as though they had a rough
childhood. Just look at the words that
Sherman Alexie says while describing their childhood: “’You’d run off if you
knew’ (60) ‘Those winters were always awful’ (62) ‘my mom is dead’ (63) ‘We
heard… the baby struggling to breathe’ (64) ‘Red flowed out of his mouth, and
black seeped from his pores’ (65) ‘Grew up in such poverty that other poor
Indians called her family poor’ (67) ‘Punched and kicked until he left her
alone.’ (68)” Chess and Checkers have clearly lived a terrible life. They live through their brother’s death,
their mother’s death, and their father’s drunken ways. After their brother died, their parents
fought constantly, so they always went outside until it was too cold. Also, they even get called poor by other poor
Indians. This means that they are at the
absolute bottom of the social ladder.
Despite being poor, they are still trying to live the American dream
with the rest of Coyote Springs.
These Indians are trying to live up to the American Dream, and contribute to the American society. They have dreams to make it big by singing and playing all different types of music. They start off playing at Indian bars, but work their way to bars that aren’t on Indian reservations. This is a huge step because the Indians are actually starting to make an impact on all American society and not just Indians. Hopefully this will propel them forward and they will make it soon shortly.
These Indians are trying to live up to the American Dream, and contribute to the American society. They have dreams to make it big by singing and playing all different types of music. They start off playing at Indian bars, but work their way to bars that aren’t on Indian reservations. This is a huge step because the Indians are actually starting to make an impact on all American society and not just Indians. Hopefully this will propel them forward and they will make it soon shortly.
I find it interesting how you put together a little montage proving how bad their childhood was. When you put all those comments together it really is crystal clear and you can't help but feel sympathetic. I've witnessed some of the poverty that often strikes these native American reservations and i dont find this hard to believe just from what I've seen. That being said, I cannot imagine what they must have gone through. It kind of makes you appreciate what you have. Even though this is fiction, it's based on fact. I also like how you picked up on the "American Dream" aspect. These people are on the side of the American Dream that doesn't get publicized as readily, the struggling dream. It's easy to forget that not everyone who comes to America can be the wealthy success that people invision.
ReplyDeleteI share in your sympathy of the sisters. I honestly do not know how they can possibly keep it all together. If I had been through all the terrible things that they have, I would probably be the worst wreck you had ever seen. It seems like tragedies such as these happen often in the Native American culture, yet somehow they are able to stay strong and unified. This may just go to show the sense of community and good neighboring that is felt by the Native American people. Still, it is an unfortunate hand that the warm water sisters have been dealt.
ReplyDeleteThe sisters seem to have to put up with a lot of harsh times in their life, and it is not easy to be able to live with these issues. In a normal family tragedies such as these would definitely create a bigger effect on the family. But somehow it seems that Native Americans are able to fight against this and can stay optimistic on their future. They are able to stick together as a town and fight off anything that may come their way. This shows how they had that desire to continue on and always fight for that better life.
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