Text-Exploration for Alexie's Story

Text-Exploration for Alexie’s story:

“Julius and his friends laughed, flipped us off, and shook their tail feathers¹ a little as they kept walking down the road.  They all knew Julius was the best ballplayer on the reservation² these days, maybe the best ever, and then knew Adrian was just confirming³ that fact” (Alexie, 46).

  1.     Word Definition/Wording:  The Oxford English Dictionary refers to a feather as “one of the epidermal appendages of a bird, usually in the form of a central shaft or midrib.”  In this case, Alexie mentions that Julius and his group of boys are wearing these feathers as a tail.  Isn’t it odd that even though these boys are considered human, they wear a tail… almost as if the author is trying to depict them as animal-like?  This seems to be very interesting, as such a description provokes us to remind ourselves of the stereotype that connects to how Native Americans dress.  We imagine Native Americans as more naked than clothed with feathers on their body, and similarly, Alexie is showing us our perception.

  2.     Word Definition/Wording/Connection:  According to the OXE, a reservation is considered to be “a strip of ground which divides….”  Evidently, in this case, Alexie is referring to the areas of land left by the government of the United States for the Indians to reside on.  This matters as it is proving that these boys are Native Americans since they are living and hanging out on the reservations assigned for them. 

  3.     Word Definition/Wording:  When something is confirmed, it is made “…valid by formal authoritative assent (a thing already instituted or ordained.”  In this part of the short story, Adrian is said to have been just confirming the fact that Julius is the best basketball player, rather than making fun of him.  It appears to be very significant in the sense that Julius apparently is higher than the standards set from stereotypes for Native Americans living on the reservation.  He is considered to be the “best ballplayer on the reservation… maybe the best ever…” which really shows that he doesn’t portray the picture we have in mind of a typical Indian.  We imagine them to be poor, unsatisfied, and sad that no one would ever call one of them the “best.”