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Sherman Alexie's The Search Engine

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In Sherman Alexie’s, “The Search Engine”, identity and representation appear in various situations within the story. How do these terms affect the complex Indian identity, while taking the history of colonialism and white oppression into account? ‘Identity’ is defined as someone having certain characteristics or personality traits distinguishing themselves from other people. ‘Representation’ is the act of someone standing up for the rights of another, making sure they are heard and their needs are met. Regarding colonialism and white oppression, these terms negatively affect Native American people. For example, when the young man ogled Corliss for being alluring, asked for the meaning of her name and ethnicity without complimenting her intelligence.

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