Setting

Physical setting

The events described in the short story “This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona” by Sherman Alexie take place on the Native American reservation, and in Phoenix, Arizona. 

Although the reservation is not described in detail, there are a few instances that offer clues about the way it is organized. For example, several flashbacks show that the reservation has a tribal school where boys study (p. 9, ll. 8-10). Given that schools in reservations were established by Christian missionaries of different religious orders, we can assume that Native American children were taught in the Western style. The reservation is also mentioned when Victor reflects on the lack of “tribal ties” (p. 12, l. 12) between people, which shows that Native Americans slowly lose their sense of c...