Perspectives

Literary perspective

The short story “This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona” by Sherman Alexie is an example of Native American literature, which is written by Native American writers and explores issues connected with Native Americans. 

One of the issues explored in Native American literature is the connection with the …

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Works with the same theme

To have a better view of the lives of Native Americans, we recommend you read the article “Death by Civilization” by Mary Annette Pember. The article provides a history of Native American boarding schools and presents the physical and mental trauma that some Native American children experienced there. 

For the theme of courage, we recommend you read the short story “The Somebody” by Danny Santiago. In the story, the main character, Chato, is on a journey to find his identity and his purpose in the world. His experience can also be associated with Victor’s in “This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona”, who is on a physical journey at the end of which he comes to peace with his life. Chato’s courage and determination can also be associated with Thomas from “This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona”, who is brave enough to follow his dreams despite what others think of him. Lastly, Chato’s refusal to befriend a girl is connected to his fear of being judged, which is similar to Victor’s inability to rekindle his friendship with Thomas. 

We also recommend you read the short story “Tony’s Story” by Leslie Marmon Silko . Silko is a Laguna Pueblo Indian woman and one of the representative writers of Native American literature. “Tony’s Story” explores t…