At the beginning of Sherman Alexie’s “Flight Patterns”, we are introduced to William, a Native American workaholic whom possesses many inner conflicts, involving leaving his family alone for days at a time, as well as flying on airplanes.
The short story opens with multiple descriptions of William and his behaviours, through his own eyes. We learn that he has an exceptional mind for American pop culture, that he suffers from terrible insomnia and that his love for his wife and child is unconditional. William likes to believe that his family could not survive without him, “Marie was always waiting for William to call” (Alexie, 2003, p. 271). Although they most likely love him very dearly, William is the one that cannot live without his family,
The short story opens with multiple descriptions of William and his behaviours, through his own eyes. We learn that he has an exceptional mind for American pop culture, that he suffers from terrible insomnia and that his love for his wife and child is unconditional. William likes to believe that his family could not survive without him, “Marie was always waiting for William to call” (Alexie, 2003, p. 271). Although they most likely love him very dearly, William is the one that cannot live without his family,