Read_The_Poems_Of_Sherman_Alexie._Discuss_The_Themes_Of_His

Read The Poems Of Sherman Alexie. Discuss The Themes Of His Poetry And Connect Them To The Novel, Reservation Blues. Sherman Alexies poems are based around his life as it was and is rather than what he wishes it was or could have been. His poems release the truth of his feelings and life, on an Indian reservation, rather than hiding it under a blanket of shame. Identity crisis, poverty, hunger, alcoholism, sexual frustration; all of these are issues which plague Alexie in his childhood and early adulthood. Issues which are reflected in his novel Reservation Blues. “’I wonder what it’s like…to be a half-breed kid' How do you think it feels to have a white mom or dad' It must be weird’” (Reservation Blues, 82). One of the major issues that seem to come into many Indians’ lives is identity. One reason is because their heritage has become very mixed. Indian men and women have children with white men and women, the children grow up on the reservation and question who they are and where they belong. Young Indians wanting to be a part of the world outside of the reservation, the ultimate goal being to move away and make a lot of money. ~ An excerpt from, “The Mice War” (One Stick Song, 60) O, Lord, this is how I remember my reservation, indian, one, women, white, men, chess, alexie, after, victor, thomas, stick, song, poverty, junior, issues, hunger, father, blues, mother, writers, two, say, praise, out, novel, mice, hand, earth, dreamed, children, childhood, checkers, two-legged, woman