Reservation Blues

Reservation Blues

Sherman Alexie's a brilliant novel writer wrote his first winning novel which tells a powerful tale of Indians, rock n roll and redemption. Repeatedly throughout the novel many principles of characters demonstrate a pessimism or fatalism brought about by generations of suffering and disenfranchisement. Sherman Alexie uses characterization and assimilation to illustrate the theme which place and heritage is important to Spokane Indians on the reservation: the major influence of Christianity brings everything to a conclusion that white is beautiful and pure. Characters are soon to realize what their future family tree has to do in order for them to somewhat sustain in this world of white men. It is said by chess," all you do is breed the indian out of your family, all you can do is make sure your son marries a white woman and their children marry white people. The fractions will take over. Your half blood son will have quarter blood children and eight blood grandchildren, and then they wont be indians anymore. They wont hardly be indian, and they can sleep at night"(283)

Characterization contributes a lot to the book because each character influences one another when it comes to Spokane culture. For example chess along with many Indians on the reservation began to develop values and beliefs of whites. "she danced well in both Indian and white ways"(55). Chess is learning to accept ways of the whites which is continued to be pushed upon Indians during the novel. Indians on the reservation were often forced to giving up their culture and obtain a new one such as Christianity. An important role characters play in the novel are independence. Chapter four illustrates how preserved some continue to be compared to other Indians following the whites and their ways. Anger is distributed between Samuel, Lester and two tribal cops in a game of basketball as seen in this quote. "That was for every one of you Indians like you tribal cops. That was for all those Indian scouts who helped the U.S Calvary. That was for wounded knee 1 and 2. For sand creek. Hell, that was for both Kennedys, Martin Luther king, and Malcolm X "(117). Samuel believes Indians should be proud to be indian and not white, this competitive game between the cops and boys is very significant because the cops represent the white man verse Indians and assuming the white man always wins. The white man tries to change the indian man by cutting his hair and giving him a new name. this is an example of white being pure and common.

Assimilation is a large aspect of the novel Reservation Blues. It often refers to the Indians culture being shifted and shaped into something similar to the white man. For instance Idians are afraid to practice their own religion; Christianity is only to be permitted. Both reality and the truth was hidden. White men did well in hiding the truth of their relationship with native Americans. The introduction song which is written on page 131 explains it all:

My braids were cut off in the name of jesus

To make look so white

My tongue was cut out in the name of jesus

So I would not speak whats right

My heart was cut