Smoke Signals Movie Analysis

Center Your Title Here: It Should Have Two Parts, Separated by a Colon Sherman Alexie stood in front of a room full of plebes and said, “I had my own battle with alcoholism, and I had to go to rehab” (Alexie). Alexie’s powerful lecture closely parallels the movie which Smoke Signals tells the story of a young Native American named Victor. The Indian’s father leaves his family because of the guilt and hopelessness he feels from starting a fire that killed Thomas’s parents several years ago. The ties between the movie and the lecture can be drawn because the main points of both revolve around alcoholism and problems in Native American’s lives today. The movie and lecture made the regiment realize that it is important to be aware of what others are going through. People often turn to destructive coping mechanisms when they feel powerless and alienated. Victor’s journey to Arizona has greater significance than him just retrieving his father’s ashes; symbolically, he is on a journey to discover himself. As Victor and Thomas leave their

He said the alienation the father felt is similar to that many Native Americans feel. After being stripped of their land, culture, and heritage many of the native people find themselves in a deep depression. They are alienated from everything that was once theirs, and this leads them to have a desire to escape their mental torture. Unfortunately, the escape path is mainly through alcohol. Alexie said many of his friends have died from alcohol abuse, and it is devastating the Native American society who as a result suffers from the highest suicide rate among any ethnic group in the United States. People are liable to turn to alcoholism because of things that are happening in their lives; because of that, it is important to be aware of how other people are doing. Caring leads to an environment which is open and