What is it about?
Voices of a Real Indian deconstructs Sherman Alexie's mystery, INDIAN KILLER, through the lens of protagonist John Smith's psyche, bringing the divergent cultures of the white man and the Native face to face, exposing white paternalism--presumptuous and misguided at best--as oppression, and disclosing as myth that the white man knows best what is best for the American Indian.
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Why is it important?
Historically, Native American peoples, their culture, and the relationship between them and mainstream white America has been widely misunderstood and thus unfortunately misrepresented, a reality that continues to plague Native Americans today. Only through understanding might the fear that underlies this disconnect be dispelled, thereby clearing the way for recognition, validation, and respect for one another. Only by dispelling the white-centric mysteries and myths that perpetuate misunderstanding and misrecognition might the contemporary American Indian thrive.
Perspectives
I loved writing this piece on Alexie's fascinating, sobering INDIAN KILLER. I hope Voices of a Real Indian inspires readers to consider--or reconsider--Alexie's work through a fresh and telling lens.
Beth Bockes
University of Chicago
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Voices of a Real Indian: Sherman Alexie's INDIAN KILLER in the Cultural Disconnect between Plight and Pride, The Explicator, July 2016, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1080/00144940.2016.1206511.
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