Smoke Signals Movie Analysis

Improved Essays
“Never let anyone define who you are or decide who you should become” (Mbiaka). This quote by Edmond Mbiaka implies that no one can change a person for the better. It is who that person chooses to be, makes them unique. In our daily life, people put titles on others by the way they walk, dress, and communicate. This can be taught in a positive and negative way. As children grow older, they learn judgment through their parents. Even though parents explain to their children the importance of judgment, parents still do it by using facial expressions, their body language, and comments made. We put labels on people without knowing the person and expect our views to be right; such as, weird, poor, rude, and not “lady-like”. Yet, the majority of the time our accusations are wrong. Literature illustrates how others will allow people to define them before they are able to define themselves. Stories and movies, such as “Borders,” “Cinderella,” and Smoke Signals all contains characters who have an impact on expressing who they are, and not allowing others to change who the characters are. The story “Borders” by Thomas King describes a moment when a mother and child are trying to pass the border into America, living between both countries of Canada; called a Coutt. The mother refuses to identify herself as an American or Canadian, and she describes herself as a Blackfoot. The guard insists, “Everyone who crosses our border has to declare their citizenship. Even Americans. It helps us keep track of the visitors we get from the various countries” (King 918). Officers keep explaining to the mother how it is important for them to keep track of how many people cross the border. It is easy for a person to declare citizenship into a new country, but the history and culture of a person’s identity will never be changed considering it being deeply bonded. The mother keeps her identity to herself no matter how many times she would be declined. Without knowing the people we always have to put a title on them. The mother could not cross the border being who she was, Blackfoot. Defining someone by their nationality is not an excuse to deny them entrance to another country. “Cinderella” by Brothers Grimm describes the life of a girl named Cinderella that is harassed by her two step-sisters and step-mother. Cinderella never leaves her house; she is pushed around at her sisters and step-mother by doing chores, and she is considered worthless to the family. “She is expected to do the dirty work and although she performs it well, she receives no credit for it, only more is demanded of her” (Bettelheim 754). With all of the work Cinderella puts into the house, she receives no reward of any of the tasks. The amount of …show more content…
It surely was not easy for a young guy named Victor. In the movie Smoke Signals, Victor faces a lot of difficulties of emotion when his father left his mother and himself. He always had this anger inside of him because of the wondering why his father left. Victor never liked when someone brought up the topic of his father, he would get really emotional inside where no one could see. Being a Native Indian, he honored himself well with his outer emotion, even though getting this stereotypical view on Native Americans watching a television show all of the time. “You gotta look mean or people won 't respect you. White people will run all over you if you don 't look mean. You gotta look like a warrior! You gotta look like you just came back from killing a buffalo!” (Smoke). Victor’s real native-like is considered “fishermen,” but he describes himself as the Indians in the old western television shows watched many of times. Victor tries very hard to find ways to be tough and act as if nothing is wrong. As Victor finds out towards the end of the movie the truth about his father leaving he finally has a meltdown. All the emotions he has held inside of him finally is released and he feels like a better man. It is okay to hold emotions, but there becomes a limit on when it is time to release the feelings inside. This is unhealthy for any person that has been in the same situation as

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Victor feels abandoned by his mother as a child. The fear of neglect and promise to never leave those whom one loves and cares for would be the natural reaction for a normal emotional feeling human being, but this quality is not something Victor perceives nor puts into action. Not only does Victor abandon his family for to work two years on his conception, once his goal came to fruition he renounced the creature as well. “How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavored to perform?” (Shelley pg. 44)…

    • 896 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    From childhood into adulthood, a person is bombarded with societal pressure to personify the roles assigned to their gender– gender meaning how the individual identifies (male, female, transgender, gender fluid, etc.) not their biological sex. Traits or behaviors typical to one gender are deemed socially unacceptable. Aaron H. Devor–previously Holly Devor, before his gender reassignment in 2002– professor of sociology and former Dean of Graduate Studies at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, illustrates this in his essay, “Becoming Members of Society: Learning the Social Meanings of Gender.” In his essay, Devor explains how characteristics such as behavior or physical appearance (apart from one’s reproductive system) define individuals…

    • 326 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    In this article Invitation to sociology author talks about the term culture shock and discusses how things are not the same as they look. Also, the author stated that sociology is paramount to understanding basic human interaction. The author argues about how society judges everything on their appearance He gave few examples of how society is changing. One of the examples he gave is about how people fall in love base on their wealth class and education. Most of the people don’t love the person for his or her personalities.…

    • 215 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    He acts like most boys around his age because he doesn't know how to act or what to do. From the encouragement of others Victor changes throughout the plot. He goes from hesitant to self conscious to confident throughout the plot. In the beginning of the short story Victor is very hesitant around his crush Teresa.…

    • 764 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    As Victor states on page 40, “I need not describe the feelings of those whose dearest ties are rent by that most irreparable evil, the void that presents itself to the soul, and the despair that is exhibited on the countenance.” Victor’s focus after the event is on the rending of his dearest ties- the upset of his life and the lack of ability to change it. After this traumatic event, Victor falls down a path of emotional detachment and despair- and thus the cruelties of life in turn inspire him to perform his own acts of cruelty. Another act of cruelty that influenced Victor’s ideas and actions was during his studies at the University. This is most concisely expressed by this quote by Mr. Krempe on page 43, “ ‘Every minute,’ continued M. Krempe with warmth, ‘every instant that you have wasted on those books is utterly and entirely lost.…

    • 708 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In life, people go through many things. I am the type of person who wants to be different than everyone else. Everyone has their own experiences and struggles, some people are told what they should like and what they should do with their lives. Throughout my life, I have had to deal with many of those things. Some people live their life being told how to live it and being judged by stereotypes.…

    • 326 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Society always thinks that some persons are better than others because they only have some characteristics that are physical or cultural. Carol S Dweck has been written and spoken out about the mindset which everyone has during the life and how society influences and how everybody can change their attitudes to learn more and to develop news skills, all this after having harder experiences in their lives. At first, she talked about the importance of society to influence us when we are youngers. We are part of some stereotypes and we believing all this mentally in every aspect of our lives so when we took care others opinions we grew with afraid to try new things in the future. Stereotypes help us to get a fixed mindset.…

    • 353 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    The film is called “ESCAPE FIRE” because it’s about our nation trying to find a way out of our current broken health care system crisis and trying to find solutions to save it. In the beginning of the film Dr. Berwick explains how the metaphor Escape Fire is used in the film, by comparing our health care system to the forest fire that happened in Montana, back in 1949. He tells of how 13 firemen died in the wild fire because they couldn’t see the solution or escape from the wildfire even though it was right in front of them. Just like we are doing with our “burning” health care system – We are ignoring potential solutions right in front of us and choosing to continue with our bad habits.…

    • 189 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Smoke Signals blends setting and symbol to help us better understand the theme of the movie. The movie consist of two major characters names Thomas and Victor who grew up together but are very different in their ways of seeing life. Thomas’s parents were killed in a fire on the fourth of July and Thomas was throw from the upstairs window and caught by Victor’s father Arnold. Thomas is the narrator of the movie. He starts out talking about the fire and how some kids are pillars of the flame and some kids are the ashes.…

    • 120 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Gender is constructed by the society. Although individuals are born sexed, they are not born gendered. Learning is required for individuals to become masculine or feminine. Children learn to talk, walk and gesture according to their social group’s beliefs of how boys and girls should act (Lorber, 1991). Gender is a human production which relies on everyone continual “doing gender” (West & Zimmerman, 1987).…

    • 1922 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Victor’s father was a heavy drinker, and when he came home, his father would listen to a Jimi Hendrix tape and drink until he passed out on the kitchen table. Victor would then fall asleep under the kitchen table with his father, so he could spend time with him. Not only this, but Victor’s father and mother fought, and this fighting ended with them getting a divorce. Victor’s father then gave him one last goodbye and left for Seattle, never to be seen again. Through this setting of a hostile household, Alexie shows us not only what Victor went through, but what many Native American families on reservations go through.…

    • 1335 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    With any good relationship between two people, proper communication is the key to respecting one another and creating a solid structure for a long-lasting connection. Communication can make someone feel wanted, secure, and provide them with a sense of happiness in life. On the other hand, a lack of communication between individuals can cause a feeling of loneliness in someone and typically leads to the termination of a relationship. The issue of improper communication can be present with two females or two males, however, it most commonly exists between females and males. This likely happens because some males tend to engage interest in women for their looks, rather than their personalities.…

    • 422 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    A recent survey has shown that 90% of all women want to change at least one aspect of their physical appearance. It ultimately boils down as to people’s perceptions of themselves and who they think they are, otherwise known as, self-image. Self-image is one’s personal view of themselves and what their level of strength, appearance, and personality is thought to be. Everyone truly wishes to be part of the crowd, and in turn, attempt to alter their self-image. About a century ago, issues with self-image occurred in the form of racism and oppression against African Americans.…

    • 280 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Flame Film Analysis

    • 1219 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The film ‘Flame’ has been described as controversial due to its particular confrontation of the classic nationalist narrative that suggested that women fighters participated equally with men during the Zimbabwean liberation movement (Barnes 2006, 248). 1967 marked the year when the Second Chimurenga broke out in Zimbabwe after the majority of the ‘black population’ had been denied civil and economic rights for over two centuries (Barnes 2006, 242). The liberation movement also referred to as the Second Chimurenga was the armed struggle against the brutality and exploitation of the white settlers in Rhodesia which is now known as Zimbabwe (Barnes 2006, 242). The primary nationalist narrative will be explained in order to discuss how the film…

    • 1219 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Fireproof Movie Analysis

    • 968 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In class on March 17th and 21st we watched the movie Fireproof and were asked to reflect on the relationships of Catherine and Caleb as it pertains to their marriage, their co-workers and their parents. The movie takes place in Albany, Georgia and begins with Catherine as a little girl talking with her mom about falling in love with her father. Catherine said “I want to marry daddy” to which her mother replied “you can’t marry daddy, you will have to marry someone else who loves you.” Catherine: “like daddy.” I took notice of this conversation because I feel like this is a normal reaction for a daughter to “fall in love” with her father.…

    • 968 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays