Smoke Signals

The movie “Smoke Signals” and the novel “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian” have some similarities and contrasts. The movie is about two indian boys named Victor and Thomas who go on an adventure to retrieve Victor's’ father's’ ashes. In the novel Junior, the main character struggles to find his place in society, he ends up going to a white kids school instead of the indian reservation school. Another thing to notice is that Victor and Thomas were around the age of 18 maybe 19…

silent smoke, leisurely done, full of good taste and content. The two men finished their smoke at exactly the same time and together clapped out their pipes. Again Whitebone spoke to Scarlet Plume. My son, a thing is troubling thee. My ears, even my red heart, are open. They all listen” (115). Today in our community, we just speak our minds if we want to. We don’t have to wait for one person or more to spoke a pipe and be finished with it and be forced to speak our minds. “A puff of smoke…

America, the natives have only been abhorred and mocked. Even in today’s liberal society it is evident that the Native American culture is still subject to all kinds of discrimination, through TV shows, movies, and other types of media. The movie Smoke Signals, directed by Chris…

In Sherman Alexie and Chris Eyre’s Smoke Signals, the theme of mourning and guilt comes into play when a male decides to cut his hair. In the scene after the fire, Arnold is shown with his hair cut short resulting from Thomas’ parents death. In this scene Arnold is said to never grow out his hair long again due to the fact that he never got over the sadness, and as we later learn, the guilt of the deaths from the fire he created. With Arnold showing the grief and guilt after losing Thomas’…

co-production of Smoke Signals. Both selections incorporate the stereotypical Indian lifestyle and culture such as chronic alcoholism and devastating poverty. However, there are also slight differences between the two pieces which in turn enables the viewer or reader to interpret an opposing storyline yet with a similar theme. Henceforth, both selections highlight different adaptations on parallel themes. To begin with, there are a number of key themes discussed…

there have been films that reshape Indigenous images on film by representing Indigenous epistemologies. Three significant films are The Business of Fancy Dancing, Smoke Signals, and Rabbit Proof Fence. All of these films engage in Native Tradition of storytelling and the understandings of family and community. The film Smoke Signals was written by Sherman Alexie, who is a Native American film maker. Over the years, most films involving Native people were written by non-natives which lead to…

The significance of cut hair as sign of mourning in Sherman Alexie’s short film Smoke Signals is divulged through Victor and Arnold as they experience what the true meaning of loss is. In the first scene Arnold Joseph saves Thomas from the house fire and soon after cuts his hair, which may be perceived by viewers as a sign of lamentation. Thomas confirms this by saying, “After that fire, Arnold Joseph mourned by cutting his hair, and he never grew it long again”. It is later revealed to the…

While in the process of writing, authors often mirror themes in each of their publications. Sherman Alexie, author of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and co-producer of Smoke Signals, demonstrates this technique through the aforementioned works by introducing topics such as family relationships, identity crises, the power of friendships, alcoholism, and the inevitability of death in both storylines. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian reveals the story of a young…

Thanks to technology we can do a lot more things and put a lot more fires. Such as, the thermal imaging camera or from short TIC. This device would allow you to see through the smoke imagine trying to recuse someone back the 60’s without this piece of technology. Times also have changed with the involvement of woman in the fire service. According to the NFPA there are 11,000 women in the fire service or 3.8%. The fire service was…

everything in it’s path. Wildfires have destroyed homes and cities within days. A fire can represent two ideas: civilization and savagery. William Golding explains these ideas in The Lord of the Flies. He shows that the fire the boys use for a rescue signal, can also destroy or kill if it is given the chance. Although Golding has several symbols he applies to convey his message, he uses fire to express civilization to counterpart the idea of savagery. In The Lord of the Flies, Ralph makes it…