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This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona

This study guide will help you analyze the short story “This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona” by Sherman Alexie. You can also find a summary of the text, as well as inspiration for interpreting it and putting it into perspective

Here, you can read an extract from our study guide: 

Because of his uniqueness, Thomas is constantly rejected by his peers and by the people on the reservation: “Nobody talked to Thomas because he told the same damn stories over and over again” (p. 2, ll. 26-27). 

Thomas also comes across as peculiar because of his apparent connection with the spiritual world. For example, he claims that he has found out about Victor’s father’s death from nature: “I heard it on the wind. I heard it from the birds. I felt it in the sunlight” (p. 2, l. 23). When they were children, Thomas was also the only one to predict that Victor’s father was going to leave his family (p. 2, ll. 11-15). As he recalls a memory about Victor’s father, Thomas also reveals that he had precognitive dreams (p. 8, ll. 16-25). Moreover, Thomas’ plans with Victor’s father’s ashes suggest that he believes in the human-to-animal reincarnation of the soul:

Thomas took the ashes and smiled, closed his eyes, and told this story: ‘I'm going to travel to Spokane Falls one last time and toss these ashes into the water. And your father will rise like a salmon, leap over the bridge, over me, and find his way home. It will be beautiful. His teeth will shine like silver, like a rainbow. He will rise, Victor, he will rise.’ (p. 12, ll. 17-21)

This shows that Thomas is a spiritual young man, who, like most Native Americans, believes in spirits, reincarnation, and life after death. 

The narrative places Thomas and Victor on opposite sides. While Thomas is connected to his culture and heritage as a Native American, Victor is disappointed with it and tends to detach from it. However, Thomas’ presence reminds Victor of his roots and makes him more open to his heritage. Furthermore, Thomas helps Victor find peace and forgive his father for abandoning the family. Although the narrative suggests that Victor is not going to be Thomas’ friend, Victor acknowledges Thomas’ role in his physical and spiritual journey.

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This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona

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