Inherent in words, some believe, is the power of life and death. In many cultures, stories are revered as having great power both to create and destroy. According to Christian mythology, the world was spoken into existence. "God said..." and then it was. The idea that "In the beginning was the word" transcends the confines of Christianity to many world religions. In Native American mythology, words have similar power when brought together in story, and violating the sacredness of stories was believed to result in terrible, tragic consequences as indicated by the anecdote of anthropologist Barre Toelken in the article "'Was Jesus an Indian?' Fighting Stories with Stories in Sherman Alexie's Indian Killer." After reading this article, examine the act of storytelling in the novel. How do the characters use stories? What do the stories accomplish? In what ways do stories have the power to create and destroy?
Finally, examine the ways in which stories are used in the world outside the novel. The entire scope of human existence is encapsulated by and preserved through stories. Who we are in the world is determined by the stories we tell about ourselves and the stories others tell about us. In what ways do stories exert power in the world? In what ways do they exert power over people and events? Do stories have the power to create and destroy? Can they determine the details of our everyday lives? Consider these questions both on a macro- and microscopic level as they affect the world and our individual human lives.
After examining the article, I have found that the characters of Indian Killer use stories in many ways. These people tell stories to keep legends going, to bring about a certain outcome in a situation, or for entertainment. These stories can help to keep a certain group thriving or can tear them apart. Story-telling, in the world of Native Americans, is one of the most sacred things because it can tell a history of their people and what they can do. If these stories are told wrong or passed through by the wrong type of people, it can tear apart tradition and culture that goes along with that specific tribe. It essentially can take away their sense of identity and individuality. To Native Americans, identity is everything because they are so true to their tribe and their blood line. They want to know who they are and are willing to tell others who they are, and are proud of it.
ReplyDeleteStories also have power in the world outside of the novel. Stories can tell the public almost anything about a person, true or false. That identity of true and false can either build up a person or tear them apart. Stories absolutely have the power to create and destroy, whether they are true or false can make all the difference. A story can help a person to exert their sense of power over other people and the events that they come in contact with. Whether this power is real or assumed may depend on whether the story that was told is true or false. A story can make you whoever you want to be and can help you to assume any role of power that you want. Overall, a story can make or break you, create or destroy you. It can also create or destroy tradition, culture, and a whole group of people based on how the story is told.
The use of stories was very important in Sherman Alexie’s Indian Killer. The characters use stories in several different ways. John Smith used stories as an escape from the pain of his life. He would invent his birth, childhood, and even important events such as going off to college. Marie would use stories as a tool in order to prove those who pretended to know about Native American culture wrong. Clarence Mather had wanted to use stories that were not his in order to gain power in the academic world, but then he was forced to keep them a secret and all to himself. Even Jack Wilson tried to use the power of his own stories to subconsciously convince people that he was an Indian. One of the biggest users of stories was Truck Shultz. He used to stories in order to gain power, and he wanted the nation to know his views and opinions on life. The power of the stories in the novel had a large impact on the result. The stories had the power to create, destroy, and so much more. For John, I believe that he made up stories of a nonexistent childhood to help heal the scars of the emotional damage of being given up at birth for adoption. Even in the novel, Alexie’s refers to John as having a wound that was made from being separated from his mother, and throughout John’s life it continued to bleed until it was dry. Although the invented stories of his family helped, they only helped for a short time. It was like trying to put a band aid on a broken leg. For some of the characters, such as Marie, the stories had the power to create an authority to her voice. Sadly, some characters refused to hear that authority, which ultimately helped lead to the chaos. Truck Shultz would be the opposite of Marie. His stories created destruction, or in other words, his stories led to other characters destroying the very city (Seattle) in which he was trying to report on. The stories played a major role in this novel. It is even suggested that the killer of the story was a creation of a story/dance, the Owl Dance. The Owl Dance is supposed to bring death, and at the beginning of the story, Marie and John dance the Owl Dance together. It was also stated that the Owl Dance was danced when the settlers came to America in order to have them killed, and that the dance never stopped being performed. Even the kidnapped boy, Mark, said that he thought the killer had wings. It is a possibility that the main plot of the novel was a creation of a story.
ReplyDeleteStories in today’s world also have a large impact on our everyday way of life. On the scope of the world, stories have a lot of power. Stories have the ability to make war and peace. Religions, which the foundations are almost completely compromised of stories, have most of the unrest in our world. Stories have the ability to destroy and create cities. Wars, which are generated from stories whether they are religious or news based, have the power to wipe cities off the map. On the other hand, stories have the power to rebuild a city. Mostly it is the story of the family that has lost everything that will jumpstart people to flock to a city to help revive it. Stories also have the power to dictate how people live. Many cultures thrive off of stories in order to survive. Most of the time, the stories give life lessons and morals for the people to live by. Sometimes these stories, which are told in the form of history, give way to laws that lay out strict guidelines for people to follow. Also stories can affect people on an individual basis. Stories have the power to make a person live forever. A person’s legacy can always live on by being told through stories through countless generations. Stories can also create and destroy one of the most important aspects in life, friendship. One wrong story can obliterate a friendship, while one correct story can help a friendship blossom. Stories play a larger role than most people realize. Stories are heard every day in various forms such as: news, gossip, short stories, novels, and stories about past family members.
The characters use of stories does three major things in this novel. One, it gives the reader an in depth idea into the character’s persona. It accomplished this by reading which stories are important to the characters and which stories they choose to tell ultimately define them, their thoughts, or ideas. Second, the characters use of stories give the plot meaning as the mystery unfolds. Karah Stokes, author of the article “Was Jesus an Indian,” tells us that she studies all the stories in the story to see if these somehow narrow down the killer. Even though she was unsuccessful I still believe that there is an underlining theme with the stories being told from the characters that would hint to a killer. Third, the stories told in the story broaden the reading out; I wouldn’t go as far to say some are just fillers to Sherman Alexie’s novel but some stories defiantly draw the reading out and one could argue either way, the stories have an underling message or it’s just to draw the story out. I think, however, it’s a combination of both. Stories outside of this novel have shaped our culture, challenged out morals, defined who we are, and invoked us to think about ways in which we interpret what is a story and what has actually occurred. Stories are so important to us that without them we would lose our identity. Stories shape us they make us who we are. Small stories shape lives and families, cultural heritage, and even go as far to make things greater or lesser than they truly are; clearly this kind of thinking would ultimately cloud what could even be categorized as a small story. Stories have the power to bring nations together, mend people of different walks of life to come together for a common bond. Take for instance the civil war. Stories of slavery turned brother against brother, family against family, and North against South. Stories are a very powerful tool, and should be regarded as such.
ReplyDeleteStory telling played an important role in Native American’s lives. Stories brought on many different feelings to Native Americans such as fear, excitement, sadness, etc… Without the art of storytelling, there would be no great stories passed down from generation to generation. Story telling can bring people together or tear them apart. Like today, people spread rumors about other people, which only brings that person down and tears them apart. This is somewhat like in the Native American times if a story was told to the wrong group of people or not told right, it could tear the tribe apart. Story telling also brings about who a person is and where he or she comes from. It can pretty much describe the background of a person of their everyday lives. Telling a story can exert power in the world, because of having the freedom of speech to be able to do so. In the Sherman Alexie’s Indian Killer, the characters played important roles in storytelling. Some would use storytelling to escape life, use stories to convince people, or even try to gain power over people. Also the stories in the novel created and destroyed a lot of things. But today stories have a lot more power to them and are mostly used for more wrong than right. A lot of people use stories against other people to gain power or access to something. Using a story against someone is the same as blackmailing. Today a lot of families still pass down stories from generation to generation but the stories are not as big as the old times. A lot of times the fish gets bigger every time a story gets retold and passed down. Stories can cause war or make peace; can make a person or break a person; or can be used for good or evil.
ReplyDeleteOne of the main facets of the storytelling in the novel is the notion of truth. One of the main bones of contention is the old saying about the conquerors writing the history books. People accept the history that is told to them without questioning the nature of the truth portrayed within historical accounts. Many of the characters show outright disdain and contempt for the way writers and scholars have chosen to portray their stories. They feel that the writers do no really get it, or that they have not created a true to life depiction of the “real” events that create the context of their stories. The characters use stories the same way stories have been used since the beginning of the spoken word. They are created to explore some facet of the human condition from the unique perspective of their creator. Therein lies the immense capacity of a story for good or ill. A story has to have an origin or a creator and that story must necessarily be based on that creators flawed perceptions of the world, and thus the story must necessarily be flawed. This would be perfectly fine if stories did not commonly masquerade as facts. I give the example of the numerous holy books that have existed since the beginning of the written word. These stories themselves possess no physical means to destroy, but those who adhere to the universal truths supposedly espoused within them can gain the entitlement to commit atrocities without fear of impunity. After all, the only thing they were doing was carrying out some divine plan. Every day mankind uses stories to try and explain and predict events within their world. This is one of the most fundamental pieces of humanity; we are pattern seeking to a fault. Through these stories people apply meaning to the banalities of everyday life. This is one of the greatest strengths of storytelling. A story can convince someone on the brink of the abyss to step back and reexamine the world that they live in.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this article I see how important all of the stories told in the Indian Killer were. Stories are very important through out John Smith’s life. He used it as a way to cope with all of his pain. He felt empty because he did not know who his real parents were or where he came from. He made up stories so that he could escape, and think of where he would want to come from. Wilson wrote stories in a way to feel like he knew what the Indians went through; he thought he was part Indian. Reggie used all of his flashbacks as a way to justify his anger; he did this because his dad beat him for being an Indian. Mather used stories by non-Indian writers in his class so that he could feel powerful in knowing more than the class did. John’s stories in a way hurt him, he imagined this amazing life, but his real life did not measure up. Outside of the novel, stories are used for may reason. Some stories are told as a history of people. Stories are a way to keep following generations informed about what happened in previous generations. Stories can make people happy, sad or even angry. Stories exert power in the world because what you tell people about yourself is what they will think of you. If you tell them a story to make them think you are more powerful then them you will then have power over them. Also if someone tells you a story about someone and it is negative, then you will then have a negative view about that person. Stores also have the power to create and destroy. If someone tells a story that is not true, but others believe it, then people may then act on their rage. Stories have a great influence on people no matter if they are true or not. Most people will believe the stories to be true, before they try to find out what the truth really is.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the article Is Jesus and Indian and reading the novel Indian Killer, I found out the use of stories are very important. These stories tell morals, good and bad situations in life, legends, and even sometimes entertainment. In the novel Indian Killer stories are used in many ways such as John Smith tells stories about what tribe his mother is from, his birth, his childhood, and going away to college. Like Johns story they can change just like the game telephone and can be really hard to pass down the right story. Marie used her stories in order to prove those who pretended to know about Native American culture wrong. Also Jack Wilson attempted to use stories to make people believe he was and Indian. There are more characters that also used stories some for the good and some for the bad. Whether stories are positive or negative it makes no difference because just like the Indian culture, without stories we would know now the Five Little Pigs, Red Riding hood, and many other stories that are important to us today. Many cultures pass down stories, even today in our modern world stories are passed down. They are very important because they let one know about their culture, history, and important facts and good stories in history.
ReplyDeleteThe characters in Indian Killer used story telling in a variety of different ways. They would look into the past to tell what they think could of happened, as John did to create his past with his mother. Truck caused a lot of different emotions with the stories he told on his talk show. He was just throwing stories out there and he never really waited for the whole story. Professor Mather had the Indian stories taped, and that did not make Reggie Very happy because he believed that those stories were to be told through the tribes. If they were dying, they were to be left to die. The characters use flashbacks to show why they act and see things the way they do. For example David and Aaron, they grew up outside an Indian reservation and their father did not like Indians, so it is easy to see why Aaron thinks the same way. Another one would be how Reggie’s white father treated him poorly so he does not look at white men in a very respectable way. Jack Wilson used stories all of the time to help persuade and convince people that he was truly Indian. Stories do have the power to create and destroy, because they could be used as a key to someone’s identity and if that is questioned then the person would not know what to believe anymore. Stories are used in a lot of different ways outside of the story. They can determine the details of our everyday lives because we may accept the stories to be true before we actually look into it. And they can change your view on others when they are told about other people. They can tell newer generations about the history and past of their family. Stories can be used to make you into the person you would like to be. They can help different cultures know their heritage and culture.
ReplyDeleteStorytelling is what is used in families to talk about their past relatives that are no longer with them. It is a way for fathers to tell their kids of the days when they were younger, and all the wild stuff and pranks they did. Grandfathers would tell their grandchildren stories of how when they were younger, they walked five miles to school uphill both ways, in a foot of snow. And they would tell them that they were up working on the farm before the sun even came up, and they would work hard in 100 degree weather all day long, through lunch and work until supper. In Sherman Alexie’s Indian Killer, the Native Americans use storytelling to describe their heritage to other Native Americans. They would talk about what tribe they are from, and their child hood, and why they ended up leaving the reservation. For John Smith, he was not able to share any of those types of storytelling because he was adopted shortly after birth. He did not know what tribe he was from, and he did not know anything about his parents, so he did not have any child hood stories to share. He also did not have any reason as to why he left the reservation. Stories can have the power to create or destroy lives. By many people, in the past, Native Americans have been seen as savages who kill and scalp white people. Some people to this day still see Native Americans as savages, and it is mostly because of the stories they have heard about Native Americans.
ReplyDeleteThe novel Indian Killer was almost completely based around story telling. Even though Native Americans base most of their lives around myths and telling stories, other non Native American characters told stories throughout the novel. The main character, John Smith, did the most storytelling about how he pictured his life if he wouldn’t have ever been adopted by a white couple. He made up stories about his childhood, his Indian family, and also about how life would have been on a reservation. John was unhappy and felt out of place his entire life because he was always around white people. He made up these stories to make himself feel better, and to also feel like he had a place in the world. The KWIZ radio dj also told a lot of stories, though a very different kind than Johns. His name was Truck Shultz and he took the truth from the news and twisted it around and made it sound worse over the radio. He did this out of greed and for more attention. The use of storytelling in this novel made it more interesting and helped you understand the details. However, storytelling did create and destroy some things throughout the Indian Killer. Story telling destroyed John Smith by forcing him to take his own life because he couldn’t separate himself from reality and his made up stories. Truck Shultz’s stories also helped create what he was, a radio broadcaster, and also ended up destroying that because of all his lies. Stories also of course exist outside of the Indian Killer. A lot of ethnic groups create stories about how their existence came about, which gives them a source of entertainment as the stories are passed on from generation to generation. When I think of storytelling the first group that comes to my mind is Native Americans. They are so fascinated with turning everything in life into a story to make it more alive and fun. These stories bring families together by creating a special bond between each generation. Overall, storytelling is a great way to share life experiences and make life interesting.
ReplyDeleteIn the article, Was Jesus an Indian?, Karah Stokes discusses story-telling. On face value, stories can be deadly in the sense that it might not have the facts correct as in the Indian Killer's portrayal of the stereotypical Indian and the history surrounding Native Americans. A reader can not accept stories as what actually occurred and must question their validity.
ReplyDeleteStories offer a tradition which leads to someone feeling like they belong. In the character Marie, she grew up with stories of her Spokane Indian tribe. Stories gave her a sense of who she was and it bonded her to her tribe. In the case of John Smith, he invents stories of his birth and a childhood life where he lives on the reservation with his birth mother and her tribe. Because he was adopted, he does not have stories past down to him. The lack of stories in his past actually leads him to question his identity, and ultimately leads to his destruction. Another character from the book, Mather, actually thought his stories of Indians were better defined than Marie who actually lived on a reservation. The author also mentioned the character of Wilson who wrote Indian stories and the author states, "it seemed like stealing when someone writes and tells a story on the Indian culture when he or she is not Indian." Both characters somewhat destroyed the view of the Indian cultural by their short-sightedness of their portrayal of Indians.
Today, stories can shape how people see themselves and the world. Stories are everywhere ... on the radio, television, and the newspapers. It can shape people's thoughts and attitudes even if it is not 100 percent true. Because stories can be so powerful, it can create and destroy. Stories can lead to misperceptions of various events and lead to speculation. On a personal level, stories can bond and link families together and bring insight on what different generations had to face, based on various events which happened or has yet to happen.
The reason why people tell stories I believe is to keep the legends and good family fun going. Most people are excited about stories because it is a good way to remember where they came from. Also another good reason why stories are important is because young kids like hearing them and telling their friends about the stories they hear. In the book “ Indian Killer” the stories are based on background stories so the reader can get a better idea on where the character came from or how the character became the way the are in the book. I believe stories can create and destroy things. For example if a story had a hero in it and accomplished things then that story can create more stories or happiness that the history of one family made them proud. If the story had a bad ending and put the family name to shame then that would destroy the family and no one would probably speak of that story again.
ReplyDeleteI believe that stories exert power in the world rather it be good or bad power. The reason for that is because people still to this day talk about 9/11. How that day changed many peoples lives forever, rather it be because they lost someone due to the accident or due to them fighting to save people. That story can be very powerfull and up lifting. Storys do not determine the details in our everyday lives. The reason for that is because a story is something that happened in the past, things change over time just like stories do. If a story did determine our everyday lives then all the storys would be pretty much the same. To sum it all up stories are very important to many different people rather it be good or bad.
In Sherman Alexie’s Indian Killer, he uses the method of story telling quite frequently in order to help the reader understand the characters on a deeper level. John Smith, the protagonist in the novel, suffers from a lack of a tribal identity. He uses storytelling as a way to try and imagine what his life would have been like had he grown up on a reservation. He envisions living in a small home with a big family and nights filled with Scrabble and storytelling. By allowing the reader to get inside John’s thoughts, it easier to realize how much he struggles internally. Stories have the power to create because they leave room for imagination, but at the same time they can destroy a person psychologically because John wishes his stories were true and that wish leaves him anguished and ultimately leads to his demise.
ReplyDeleteStories are a powerful tool used by everyone in today’s world. There are a variety of storytelling methods, including journalistic reporting, familial ancestries, the accounts of everyday happenings, and basic historical information. They rely on reporting the truth, creativity, or entertainment values. People rely on stories in order to learn any new information. How many people turn on the news every evening, listen to the radio, or get updates online about the happenings in the world. Those are all stories. Not only are stories important for current times, but they also are essential in learning about the past. History is a story told by someone. As a history major, I have studied historiography, specifically whether or not there is an absolute truth to history. In my opinion, there is not. Each historical story told is from somebody’s point of view, meaning there can be multiple versions. Stories can also determine details about everyday lives. Think of the stories we hear on the news about scandals being revealed or floods ravaging a city. These stories affect people and how they live. They can destroy a person’s reputation or career or cause a sense of empathy. Without stories, our lives would be mundane but at the same time, stories must be used appropriately so not to destroy.
In the book the Indian Killer, stories are a very prominent part of the book. To me each chapter in a sense was a different story that had details that connected to every other chapter. Although most books are constructed in a similar way, to me it seemed that each one had hidden details, that if the reader did not pay close attention to they were often missed. For instance, whenever the first Indian guy is killed on the trail it mentions three men with masks on. Later on in a different chapter, the book discusses the three men again but this time we get the names along with them. So just right there the use of story is very important.
ReplyDeleteAnother part of story usage in the novel is by many different characters. John Smith is a very confused man and uses stories to make himself feel better and more accepted. He is unsure of what tribe he is from or who his real parents are. Since he is unsure, with each encounter he has with different groups of Indians he uses a different story to describe his childhood or his tribe that he is from. Also, Marie another important character in the book was raised with all the stories from her tribe. These stories have formed who she is and her strong beliefs as an Indian. She carried these strong beliefs throughout the entire novel and used them whenever she entered the Indian Literature class. This brings me to another character in mind, Jack Wilson. From a young age Wilson believed he was part Indian and began to write stories to make himself feel more connected with the Indian culture. He wrote stories about a great Indian warrior that always saved the day and was such a romantic guy. His stories forced many women to want to search for an Indian just like the main character. But in writing these stories, he contradicted the beliefs of the character Marie because she was raised hearing different views of Indians. So the use of story then caused some confusion and discomfort between which beliefs were correct or not.
Through all of the stories that each of these characters were raised hearing or made up themselves, unfamiliarity was caused in the true identity of the Indian culture as a whole. Stories are used in everyday life as they are printed in magazines and newspapers or told on television and broadcast on the radio. People tune into some form of media to hear these stories. Some stories may provoke sympathy where as others may cause outrage among a person; each and everyday stories form how we think and feel. People also use stories to create their own identities and explain their lives. Stories can be very powerful and evoke many emotions. The power of the story can create something good for one person and just as easily destroy another person. Either way, stories are prominent in every culture and are read more often than people realize.
In the novel, stories play a very large part of everybody's lives. They are anyway of passing time to continuing the heritage of their people. They are so important in some ways that they can even lead to the deaths of people. Take the coyote stories for example, which are talked about in the article. They are to be told only during one season, the winter, and their elements separately are never to be examined. Doing so would result in the death of a family member due to the fact that the person who does examine a story is a witch and pays for the by sacrificing a family member. Even if the person is not a witch, they will still lose a family member just because people will think they are a witch and kill off a family member regardless, so really its a lose-lose situation.
ReplyDeleteOutside the novel, stories have enormous impacts on our world. Religion for example, is based upon a story or a series of story’s. The Bible is a collection of stories that some people believe to be true, while others believe it to be false. Regardless of truth, just look at the world and all of its great achievements, and horrible tragedies that have come to pass due to a story. On a much smaller level, stories can also have a huge impact on a single person. Rumors are possible the worst example of this happening. Rumors are just simple little stories that can either help someone, or in most cases ruin somebody’s life. None the less, stories play a very large roll in the world, and always will. Just think, if our country turns away from oil, the future may talk about our very generation and use us as an example for ways to be cleaner and more efficient for their future generations.
Stories of life and life‘s experiences, whether truth or fable, having lasting impacts on a culture and the lives surrounding it. American Indian stories leave a legacy of lessons learned, goals accomplished, and triumphs rejoiced. They have an invaluable impact on the people to whom they belong because it is what they know and what has been instilled into their well being. For hundreds of years generations have heard ongoing stories of hope or struggle, which are told to make a difference in a life and sustain their power in the traditions of their culture.
ReplyDeleteIn Sherman Alexie’s “Indian Killer,” the main character, John Smith, uses many stories as an adopted Indian to ease his mind of questions unanswered. He manifests elaborate fantasies of his childhood, adoption and ancestry, to the point where he in fact believes some of his tales. He has created stories of his life on an Indian Reservation, the one he would belong to had he not been adopted. His stories are in fact always relating to his life as an Indian and the complications it has made to belong to white people.
Although not always Indians telling these stories, most of the stories told in “Indian Killer” were relating to the American Indian culture. Professor Clarence Mather’s uses his believed stories to tell his students what he believe actually happened in history, as Marie would correct him with her impacting evidence about her life on a reservation. These stories are so valuable to the Indian heritage that it could turn offensive quickly if the story be disrupted of it’s content, timing, or character. Just as Clarence Mather was to reveal the old tapes of Indian stories told by the ancestors of Marie and Reggie, Reggie turned cold to his friend quickly when realizing what his professor was going to do. Such disgrace could haunt an Indian forever.
Stories today are elaborated and embellished upon to create a lasting effect. There are industries entirely dedicated to telling the gossip of today’s pop culture, like National Inquirer and Us Weekly, where stories are told but slightly tweaked in order to increase the reader interest. The problem with American society is we are well aware of the embellishment that takes place but we still buy the magazines as forms of entertainment. And just as John Smith in his delusional manifestations of reality, I believe such stories do nothing but create an apparent truth and convince readers to believe false statements.
After reading this article, the importance of storytelling in Indian Killer was made clearer. Some of the characters relied greatly on stories to either make a point or to get through life. For example, John Smith made up stories about his birth, childhood, mother, his Indian tribe, and even his later life in order to cope with reality. He did not like the idea of being an adopted Indian without a tribe, so he made up these stories to make himself seem like a true Indian. Maria uses stories to defend her Indian heritage. Whenever she is in her college class, her professor tries to defend a so called “Indian” author. Maria relies on stories to prove both the professor and the author wrong, but also to protect her heritage. David Rogers used stories to explain why he is so interested in Indians. He explains that when he was younger, his dad would make him and his brother shoot at Indians to keep them from trespassing on their land. David never really liked doing this which lead to his great interest in Indians. Professor Mather used stories to try to make himself seem like a good professor and Jack Wilson tried to use stories to convince people that he was a real Indian.
ReplyDeleteStories are used in the world outside the novel in many different ways. Sometimes stories are used to teach a lesson. Stories of battles in which armies were completely slaughtered have been used to teach how not to fight and how to survive during a battle. Another thing that is taught by stories is different religions. Christianity uses Bible stories to help teach many important lessons. Other times, stories are used to help people remember important events from history. For instance, many stories from major events such as the sinking of the Titanic, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and 9/11 have been used to help people remember what happened on those horrific days. Stories exert power in the world because they can be used to create or destroy a person’s reputation. They can be used to make someone seem like something they are not. They can be used to make someone seem greater than they really are, but they can also be used to destroy. In many cases, stories are used to destroy a person’s reputation. Stories also exert power because without them, most of our history would be forgotten.
Stories expert power in the world in many ways, there have been many different types of stories throughout the history of time. For some cultures and people telling stories is a way of culture and a way of life for them and a way of telling their history and passing it down to their children so they will know of these stories and that they could pass the stories down to their children. The Native Americans for example are a culture that this is a way of life for them and how they pass down their history and culture. Native Americans often tell stories for fun and when they have gatherings they usually tell stories of the past and heroes in their family. Stories exert power in the world by giving people hope and they also can prove as guidelines for people and give examples of how they should live their everyday lives and stories can be a model for them to do this. They can also create ideas in people and give them ideas of things that they should do in their everyday life and sometimes this is not a good thing because some stories can provoke bad ideas and bad behavior. I think that stories have helped shape the world and the different cultures in the world and how people act in society because of the stories they have heard of their ancestors and how they acted and how they handled their lives and handled different situations that they faced in their lives. If it was not for ancient stories passed down over generations there would not be many cultures left in the world because people would not even know about their ancestors and the stories about them and their culture. I think that the world would be a very different place if there were not stories and the I don’t think the world would be as good of a place as it is now.
ReplyDeleteThe characters use stories in many ways. John uses them as a way to escape his loss. He is mourning what he will never have through his stories and daydreaming. Marie uses them as a way to fight back at what she sees are so many transgressions towards her people. Dr. Mather uses them to elevate his sense of self purpose. He is not satisfied just being himself so he has to fabricate and pretend to be something he is not. Wilson uses them because he is torn. He craves so bad that connection to Indians and he knows he will never be accepted, so the next best thing is the write about it.
ReplyDeleteThe stories seem to accomplish a kind of security blanket for almost all of the characters. It gives them that illusion of being in control of things.
Some stories come from our imagination and can be so convincing that they become legends. Some stories are another channel to set the record straight on things misconstrued. A story can make someone immortal. Tales of Crazy Horse, Beowulf or Robinhood live on for eternity. It can raise or ruin someone’s reputation. It can implant ideas into people’s heads. One example is the title of the book, Indian Killer. The first instinct when reading is to automatically think the killer is Indian just because of a few Indian trinkets or rituals, when in fact the killer may not be Indian at all. The story is the power to present an idea and implant it in the psyche so deep that it never really leaves you. Now that’s power!
Stories can have such an intense impact on people. It can be from the smallest individual experience. A bedtime or Bible story as a child can shape the way you view things as an adult. Imagine the difference of reading The Little Engine that Could or a horror novel to your child every night. Stories have the power to encourage or destroy a person emotionally. In some instances they can even destroy lives. One example in the article is about analyzing Indian stories is practicing Witchcraft, and in that case a family member’s life will be forfeit to balance the scales. Also, large companies use words to advertise and draw us in to buy their products. This affects our individual lives.
On a larger scale, many religions use literal translations from their texts. People have been put to death over these texts which have become die hard teachings. Even worse, because these words have such power, they can be twisted and used for humans to gain more power.
Words can create impressions, influence and persuade. Words are power!
Stokes says that “stories shape our world” (46) and I agree completely. Religious manuscripts are filled with stories that when they are interpreted by people the stories dictate how people view their lives and the earth. Religious stories give a set of guidelines on how people should and shouldn’t act. Even if a person is non-religious stories still control behavior. Stories of the bogie-man make children listen to their parents. As stated in an anecdote from the Indian Killer the box of small-pox make children pay attention in school. Stories can effect more than children too. A story of a cancer survivor, a peace corps. worker in a 3rd world country, or a widow successfully raising her children can inspire adults to overcome challenges in their own lives. Stories in newspapers and magazines about government candidates (completely true or not) can affect the candidates chances of winning the election. Stories, or more specifically rumors, can change your perception of a peer. Stories have much power of over our lives. I like that Stokes describes stories as “pathogenic” (44). Stories can spread very quickly through a group of people and effect their behaviors, actions, and thoughts. As the word pathogenic suggests stories can cause harm, as many people take the story and interpret it as they want, their meanings can become skewed and manipulated to benefit the interpreter or harm the stories subject.
ReplyDeleteStories told in the Indian Killer serve many purposes – they create an escape, instill hatred, tell legends, and, in Jack Wilson’s case “[steal] Native Americans’ rights to tell their own stories” (46). John Smith uses his stories to create a happy and stable made-up life for himself. His fantasies of his birth mother raising him, growing up on the reservation, and going away to college try, fruitlessly, to take away some of the pain from John’s real life. Truck’s stories instead of removing pain, aim to create it. His racist, pugnacious radio broadcasts filled with “loaded” words and lies contribute to his listeners’ dislike of the Indian population as a whole. Truck’s coverage of the Indian Killer incites violence that is shown in the actions of Aaron, Reggie, and their groups of friends. Legends, being an important part of Indian culture, are therefore prominent in the Indian Killer. The killer uses the legend of the hunting owl as a sort of inspiration or role model to his own killing. The legends recorded on the tapes Dr. Mather finds cause the destruction of a friendship between him and Reggie, because Reggie sees the legends as sacred to his people and views their recording as defilement. Large scale storytelling in the form of Wilson’s novel stirs up much hatred. This hatred, mainly shown through Marie and later through John, is the result of someone telling a story that is not theirs to tell, a story they do not have the right to tell.
The article "Was Jesus an Indian?" stresses the importance of storytelling in the Native American culture. The events that happen within a tribe are passed on from generation to generation through stories and if the people of those tribes die out or the stories are misunderstood or edited then the entire history of that culture could be changed or lost forever. The point of view of a story is extremely important and can change the meaning if not told properly. The article uses the reference to smallpox laden blankets being traded into the indian tribes in relation to the misuse of telling stories. The smallpox, like the misunderstood stories, can be invisible to the eye but potentially deadly to a culture. In the Barre Toelken example of the article, it is explained that to tell a story in a degrading way or to not fully understand it would be considered that of witchcraft and result in the consequence of losing a member of ones family.
ReplyDeleteCritics had made comments that Alexie's novels contained "complex history lessons" without doing any research to find out if the "stories" of the novel were true or not. Similar to the novel, Indian Killer, where Marie explains that removing the eyeballs of a white man and setting feathers over the eye sockets are not techniques that were invented by the Indians but merely stereotypes based on stories that the Americans have passed on. In fact, it would be smart of a non-Indian to do such things to try and put the heat on an Indian and not himself. This exemplifies the notion that people trust stories so much that they believe everything they are told. So much so that it is now considered a cliche.
As children we learn the power of stories because we are easily persuaded by the seriousness of our parents. Stories are used to keep us in line, to behave around Christmas time so that we get presents, which God to believe in or pray to, to not run rampid in the campground because of the monsters, to give motivation and hope when the underdog prevails against evil. Sometimes the stories are meant to bring an emotionally triggered life lesson. Regardless the reason, storytelling is a big part of every culture as a way to pass on the history. The stories of a culture can create a bias against other cultures. One example that sticks out to me is gossip. Rumors spread like wild fire and people simply believe without proof because the story comes from someone they love and trust. The power of words and persuasion can create a mass following. This can be seen globally in times of war, in religion, and in common day to day trends. These beliefs on a microlevel can determine factors in our day to day lives when we decide which schools to attend, which clothes to wear, what music to listen to, and which new words to incorporate into our vocabulary. On a macrolevel, stories and beliefs can influence entire cultures and nations that can build power and eliminate weaker ways of thinking. In an interview with Sherman Alexie I read his opinion on the destruction of smaller tribes, he says that if the tribe is not isolated enough and cannot keep it's stories within itself, it will be sucked into American pop culture and ultimately forgetting it's own history.
Stories have existed for thousands of years. The caveman of the past used them, and in this current world we have books, television, and the internet to show us stories. The people in the Indian Killer use stories in many ways. The stories are used to tell about such legends like the owl, which is the symbol of death for many Indians, as well as stories to occupy time and provide entertainment. The characters used stories about themselves. John uses the stories to escape the pain that he had in his life. He would make up stories about himself to cope with the fact that he would probably never meet his real mother, and the fact that he has a mental illness. Truck Schultz used stories to gain fame on his radio show, and used it to gain power. He wanted to tell others about his views on life. Jack Wilson used the story that he was an Indian to get more attention. He even believed that he had an Indian ancestor. Dr. Mathers used a story to get Reggie expelled, even if it was Mathers’ fault. His extensive knowledge on the Indian people led him to believe that he knew better than Reggie and his cousin, Marie, both of whom are Indians. These people told about themselves and why they are like they are in the book through flashbacks. Reggie’s father didn’t want his son to be Indian, so he beat him and made him act white.
ReplyDeletePeople today use stories like they did in the past, to entertain. The means of telling them have changed of course, but stories will always exist. Some stories are silly, some are funny, some are myths and legends, and some are true. Stories have always had the power create dreams, and they have also had the power to destroy. Stories can impact your life in many ways. You could hear a story about an adventurer, and it would make you want to do the same. Stories are extremely powerful things, and they should be respected.
In the novel Indian Killer storytelling was used throughout the story for each character. It would switch from one character to another one in each chapter. The stories accomplish how everyone in the book is tied together. It helps the reader know why there are certain people in the novel. The reader learns more information about each character through the storytelling. The stories have power to kill the characters. They can make the situation a good or evil one. Stories will change the way a person views something or someone. The stories can create an ego for someone and shortly tear it all down.
ReplyDeleteWhen a person is little and they are still learning things their parents or guardian, a teacher, minister, and other elders tell them stories. They will tell stories about their grandparents. They might tell a story about how different life was for them as a little boy or girl. A minister will tell stories about religion. A teacher will read a story out of a book. Fellow students may make up stories or tell ones that have already been told to them. Stories can base someone’s life. We tell people stories about ourselves when something heroic has happened to us. The people that we told those stories to may tell them to someone else and twist the words. They may make the story sound better or worst. Stories have the power to create and destroy. When someone is told a story about their mentor that is terrible about them their views of that person are destroyed. Stories have a huge impact on people. The story may be a lie and it will still change a person’s view on what the story was about. Stories can become very detailed, but since stories are passed down from person to person it is hard for the story to determine everyday lives. Everyone sees things from different perspectives. Many stories that are told in history have been twisted, for example, the Civil War. In secondary schools history books told people great things about Abraham Lincoln, and the stories are sugar coated. In a college book or a library book those stories are different. They tell of what he did and the writers don’t leave out the bad things that were done during that time.
In Sherman Alexie’s Indian Killer, the characters use stories in a variety of ways. Jack Wilson uses his books to offer his perspective on Indian life and to hopefully become accepted by Indian culture. John Smith would use made-up stories about his childhood to cope with difficulties he was facing in his adult life. Truck Shultz uses his exaggerated stories about the Indian killer for his own personal gain and to cause uproar among the people of Seattle. Marie would use her own accounts of being Native American to discredit others who pretended to be Indian such as Dr. Mather. David Rogers wants to use his story about the camas root and the Indians from when he was younger to better get to know Marie. The usage of stories throughout the novel offer the reader a better understanding of each individual character and their personal attributes and attitudes towards other aspects of the story. Of these examples, Truck Shultz’s stories exemplify the power of a story more than the others. Throughout the story, Truck uses his stories to causes hate crimes to break out all over Seattle and cause unrest and hatred towards Indians. Comparably, the story of the owl told by Native Americans had the power to influence the police’s view of the Indian killer. For instance when the feathers were found in Mark Jones’s room many of the police believed he would be killed or he was already dead. Had they reveled the meaning of the feathers to Marks parents, it would have destroyed all hope of him being found alive.
ReplyDeleteIn today’s world, stories shape who we are as individuals and our society as a whole. To me this is most apparent in our history books. The stories found in our history books are told in order to portray Americans in a positive light regardless of the situation or the actual truth. These stories give us the power to believe that we are the best most powerful country in the world however I doubt that is everyone’s view of America. The power of stories is also very apparent in movies and television shows. Movies can evoke a vast array of emotions in its viewers and certainly influence their everyday lives especially movies that are based around true events. Ultimately stories have the power to create and destroy; it just depends on what context the story is told in and whose point of view it is told through.
Characters in stories can have great appeal and influence. Similar to the characters in Indian Killer, they can expose stories of histories of people or a glimpse into the mind of great ancestors before the time of science to explain common occurrences. Stories are still forged on how the earth even came into being like in the bible and other books. You even have books like the twilight series where girls who are big fans, manage to mortally injure and almost maim others over the true existence of characters and their stories. But personally stories are a great glimpse into any world that isnt the current one that we ourselves are living. Events in romance novels that haven’t happened to us, science fiction or just fiction novels where there are characters of crypto-zoological creatures or even traveling to other galaxies leave us entrapped and snared believing that we ourselves are living in that time and moment watching things unfold right in front of our eyes. Stories are powerful things and characters only accentuate and help move along the stories regardless if they are real living or make believe. But among the power to create around it is the power to destroy. Like the afore mentioned issue when the twilight series gained popularity. Girls so obsessed with Jacob and Edward started mini wars amongst themselves and went so far to even cause great bodily harm to others that tried to snap them back to reality. So in the end, it isnt stretching it to say that stories and characters have a great influence to create and destroy.
ReplyDeleteStories are very powerful and can create or destroy, all depending on how the story is told. The Native Americans used stories to carry on and modify Indian traditions and keep their culture alive. To Indians, stories are extremely important because that is how they tell of their tribes past experiences and legends that makes their group who they are. The characters in Indian Killer use stories in many ways. John Smith used stories as a way to fantasize about his life and to get rid of the loneliness and emptiness he felt from being an Indian raised in a white family and community. The stories he made up helped him to be more accepted to different groups of people while it helped him cope with his pain. Marie used stories from her Spokane tribe to tell about their culture and give her a feeling of unity with a group. She used these stories in her class when her professor, Dr. Mather, would tell wrong information about what he think happened, and Marie would correct him. Dr. Mather used stories about Indians to help him get ahead in his professional career. He found tapes of recorded tribal stories that were sacred but he did not care and used them anyway to help get ahead in his job. Jack Wilson was a writer and used stories to convince people that he was an Indian. He knew he wasn’t but he wanted to be one so bad that he eventually started believing that he was. Truck Shultz used stories to broadcast his antagonistic views about Indians and society to the world. He was not necessarily interested in the stories he told, but was more concerned with his fame and power and would say whatever it took to get there. He was very racist and contributed to the hatred towards Indians in Seattle. All of these characters used stories, but some were for good purpose, and some for bad. Both Wilson and Mather used stories that destroyed because they were not truly Indians and acted like they knew everything about them and their culture. This took away the sacredness of the tribes passing down their legends from word of mouth to their own tribe members. Shultz did basically the same thing but he was intentionally being racist. His stories increased his popularity, which created him but also became destroyed and destroyed the good thoughts about Indians. Smith was destroyed because he got so caught up in his made up stories and feeling worthless from not knowing his roots. Marie used hers only to create and pass on the legends.
ReplyDeleteStories outside of the novel Indian Killer can also create or destroy. One false story about someone could either ruin their life or make it depending on what was said. If someone makes up a terrible rumor and the wrong person hears it, it can destroy your reputation forever. On the other hand, if it is a story of your accomplishments or something good, it can create opportunities. Without stories life would be impossible. We use them in everything we do from religion to history and much more. They are what gives us our own personal identity as an individual and as a whole group. From Indian Killer and the real world, we can see that stories are very powerful a big part of life because they either create or destroy groups and individuals.
Storytelling is a very prominent element in the novel Indian Killer. Most of the characters use stories in some way or another. John Smith uses stories to help create his own identity and in a way bring healing. Father Duncan uses stories to pass on legends. Dr Mather uses stories to try and influence others. Truck Schultz uses stories to gain popularity. Virtually every character told stories or read stories to achieve some type of goal or to gain satisfaction. Stories and storytelling can be used in multiple ways to accomplish many different types of things. They can create virtual realities or destroy careers. This novel helped me understand how powerful story telling really is.
ReplyDeleteStories and storytelling can have very influential and powerful consequences. Stories can help spread ideas, teach concepts, or simply entertain others. Being a good story teller can help you on a personal and professional level.
Being able to tell entertaining stories could help you socially. I feel like everyone has a really funny friend who tells the funniest stories. Why do you enjoy being around that person? Because they can tell awesome stories. There are also those friends who tell stories about others or gossip. Storytelling comes into handy for people like this who enjoy putting others down and when used in this way could end up inhibiting their social life.
Stories can also help you advance in a professional sense. Let’s say you are presenting a proposal to your boss. If you can paint the picture of how your idea will successfully help the company, he/she is more likely to approve your proposal. The same concept applies if you are applying for a grant. If you can tell a moving story of how the money will make a positive difference in the world, most people will be more likely to fund you.
This idea of using storytelling to help you financially can be seen in my own life. I wanted to go on my fourth Mexico Mission Trip a few years ago but didn’t have enough money to cover costs. What did I do? I wrote letters to friends and family encouraging them to donate money and including stories in my letter of how my previous mission trips helped not only the Mexicans we served but my spiritual life as well. The money rolled in, and I ended up with more than enough money to fund my trip.
Storytelling is very powerful. Depending on how it is used, it can impact your life or the lives of others around you in very positive or negative ways.
Stories were used by many of the characters in Alexie’s Indian Killer. Every character used them in a different way. Wilson used stories to escape from being white and make some money. Smith used them to pretend to have a tribe and an Indian family. Although he was white and had no idea what it meant to be Indian, Mather used stories to try to teach Indians what it meant to be Indian. Mather listened to stories recorded from Indians as a way of examining their storytelling techniques. Also, he attempted to destroy the Indian culture by showing the world the Indians’ stories. The radio personality, Truck Schultz, told stories about the Indian killer. He attempted to destroy the Indian way of life by creating stories about the killer that were not true.
ReplyDeleteStories are outside of this novel to create ideas about people. A person would describe a person as heroic using a story about that person saving someone’s life. They have great power in the world because they can show a whole new perspective on an event or person. One story could completely destroy a person’s reputation, even though it could be completely made up. Stories are used to pass the time and to take us to a different place. By creating stories everyone can be a liar. Stories are the greatest way to create or destroy a person. Telling a story about a buddy who did a crazy stunt could make him the most popular person in the group. Contrarily, making up a story about what someone did could destroy the person in the group. Also, hearing stories about other countries can curb our thoughts on them. Hearing different lies about a group of people can make us think that they are bad people when, in reality, the story was completely out of context. Although stories have great power, I do not think they can determine all of the details of our lives, but they can take the most interesting parts and put them together and make one fantastic story.
The article Was Jesus an Indian sheds a lot of light on storytelling in both Sherman Alexie's Indian Killer and the storytelling mythos and reasoning of our society. Stories are told very often in the novel. The opening chapter is in fact a story of how John believes his adoption to have taken place. He sees it as less of an adoption and more of a kidnapping and this opening story helps to give us a insight into his character from the beginning. Stories are also told after a major crime takes place. When the victim or victim's family are telling the police what happened, or telling them about the parties involved, they are to telling a story. This helps to show how stories can sometimes be misleading or outright lies. Such as when John states he killed two white men, but we read earlier that they actually left safely in their truck. It helps to keep a mysterious edge to the story, and lets the reader know that no one can be trusted. It's funny to say examine stories outside the world of the novel because if you really think about it, the world is just one big story with billions of smaller stories and subplots happening in it every day. People are stories. What you do is seen or told to people every day, and that can become who you are. When a person dies, they are remembered for what hey are and what they did through memories and stories about them. Everything we know that came before us is told through stories, and held in a general consciousness. I think stories, and in a similar way words, can hold more power than anything else that we know, especially in the way they can bend and shape lives and thoughts and feelings.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Indian Killer and examining the characters, I see how some characters used stories in different ways. As I understood it, the Native American culture used stories to teach life lessons and tribal history. Taking apart any of these stories destroys the verbal history of the tribe, though many white people have tried. It destroys their culture and traditions. You also have the issue of identity. Identity to Native Americans is everything. A Lakota is different from a Cherokee- not just in looks, but also in tribal history and cultural traditions. Everyone has a different identity, and the Native Americans are willing to share it.
ReplyDeleteThere is a force in the world outside of the novel too. Everyday on television you see stories about different people and something they have done. Whether these stories are true or false reflects on their identity. It makes a world of difference if they are true or false. It could throw a person into a new, unknown power over people- a person can be answerable to no one, be anyone they want to be. It also can destroy their culture, tradition, faith, and their very being. A false story can wipe out entire cultures; alter what is remembered- what is true.
Indian Killer was a novel with the basis of storytelling. The Article about the novel Indian Killer made this clearer when explaining that the novel had no clear ending. Many of the characters had their own story, and this in my opinion gave the reader a sense of judgment on the accomplishment of the characters in the novel. The Article also stated that the novel was to be read differently than most mystery novels because the author wrote it that way. The characters use their story to plead their case about why they choose to act a certain way, and later show, how their story has affected their outcome in life. Stories can have the power to create and destroy by influencing people. For instance, many wars are told through stories. Stories about the past signifies the consequences of war, leading others to believe that wars end very badly and should not be a means to control others. Like the author said in the Article, telling stories inform younger people about the mistakes of the past and helping them understand traditions. Individuals learn about their older relatives through stories. People cannot learn from pictures since the camera was not always around, so the only way is to learn by word of mouth. I remember my parents sitting me down and telling me stories of my older family, like where they were born, what they were like, and how we got to where we are now. I would imagine that without stories the world as a whole would miss out on millions of important events that affected us positively and negatively. An example would be, seeing the fall of Rome made founders of the United States realize that a democracy cannot last and that a republic could. Without stories, history would repeat itself.
ReplyDeleteAlmost every character’s life was either formed or based off of stories. For instance, John HAS to depend on stories because he has no background at all. It’s the only clutch that he has to help him feel like he has stability, even though it is the farthest from stability. John turned in to a very untrusting individual. Marie holds being Native American dear to her heart and tries to stay true to her beliefs. Reggie’s stories are the facts or “trivia” that his father instilled in him which caused him to be violent later in life. In a sense, the stories destroyed him. The stories he lived by created a violent child who turned into a violent adult. Professor Mathers is just one big mess. All he seems to be is stories, whether they are his or not he still tells them. He uses fake stories to teach his class which isn’t right at all. In a way the stories he told helped create his status as a teacher. Stories help families pass down their traditions and help people stay rooted in their past. When I think of comparing stories and the world together I think of Twitter and rumors. Rumors or stories can spread so incredibly fast over the internet. Before you know it you hear about your favorite actor dying and then the next minute he is confirming that the rumor that was going around was NOT true and he is still alive… via tweet. On the other hand, some stories can littearly keep a family together. Some families stay true to their heritage and put family first above all else. These are the people that are going to continually pass down their stories for future generations. I see high school as one big story. We all were trying to fit in so we will say whatever we want, whatever we don’t want and even lie to fit in. This can definitely determine who we are in high school and the people we hang out with.
ReplyDeleteAlmost every character’s life was either formed or based off of stories. For instance, John HAS to depend on stories because he has no background at all. It’s the only clutch that he has to help him feel like he has stability, even though it is the farthest from stability. John turned in to a very untrusting individual. Marie holds being Native American dear to her heart and tries to stay true to her beliefs. Reggie’s stories are the facts or “trivia” that his father instilled in him which caused him to be violent later in life. In a sense, the stories destroyed him. The stories he lived by created a violent child who turned into a violent adult. Professor Mathers is just one big mess. All he seems to be is stories, whether they are his or not he still tells them. He uses fake stories to teach his class which isn’t right at all. In a way the stories he told helped create his status as a teacher. Stories help families pass down their traditions and help people stay rooted in their past. When I think of comparing stories and the world together I think of Twitter and rumors. Rumors or stories can spread so incredibly fast over the internet. Before you know it you hear about your favorite actor dying and then the next minute he is confirming that the rumor that was going around was NOT true and he is still alive… via tweet. On the other hand, some stories can littearly keep a family together. Some families stay true to their heritage and put family first above all else. These are the people that are going to continually pass down their stories for future generations. I see high school as one big story. We all were trying to fit in so we will say whatever we want, whatever we don’t want and even lie to fit in. This can definitely determine who we are in high school and the people we hang out with.
ReplyDeleteThe Power of Stories
ReplyDeleteSherman Alexie wrote Indian Killer, a novel. In the novel Sherman Alexie created a character named John Smith, an Indian. John Smith was adopted by two white parents. The parents believed in exposing John to Native American literature. John Smith envisioned stories of himself at birth. It usually involved him being taken from his mother at the reservation. Sometimes his stories left him with his mother at the reservation as he grew up. Smith lacked certain knowledge about being Indian. He did not know what tribe he came from. This was another area where he created stories about which tribe he belonged to. Smith did not know how to behave at certain Indian functions. He had to observe to learn the unspoken expectation on how to behave. John Smith’s stories assisted him in feeling like he belonged to an Indian tribe. For most of the time he felt like an outsider in Indian groups. .
Stories are shared across time and cultures. For example, the Cinderella story is in many countries. It is even in Egypt and has been since the first century B.C. In the past I attended a presentation at UIS conducted by a Native American woman. She was from the Southwest and shared a story about one of her ancestors. Her ancestor was a woman who lived in a mission in California in the early 1800’s. This woman was raped by a church leader. Instead of hiding the crime and memory, she told the story. This lead to retelling the story in the 1920’s by a descendant of the woman. This other woman told an oral historian about the crime. This was recorded and was stored in the Smithsonian Institute. The Native American woman who spoke at UIS found this recording. The speaker shared the story with the audience. This story was a life experience was very painful for the woman at the California mission. This woman continued to tell others. This sent the message that rape is not acceptable and a woman should tell to help stop the offender.
Characters in “Indian Killer” use stories in a variety of different ways. Many of the Indians in the story use them to keep traditions and rituals of their people alive. But some believe these stories should only be told through spoken word and never recorded or written down. Like Reggie telling Mather to burn the tapes of the Indian woman. In this instance, the stories destroyed their friendship. Many people in the novel give their testimonies in court. They are telling their story and how they perceived the situation to a judge to hopefully solve some sort of crime. These testimonies have the power to destroy someone’s life by bringing them to justice and facing the punishment for the crimes they have committed.
ReplyDeleteStories have the power to influence people, sometimes a huge amount of people, to unite under one common idea or belief. The Bible is an example of a number of stories that has gathered a massive following. This collection of stories has a direct impact on how Christians live their everyday lives. They try to follow Jesus’ sinless way of living and emulate what they have seen him do through these stories.
It is eay to see that stories hold power and can make an impact on the world. Regardless if the story is putting forth a positive message, like “The Message” by Billy Graham, or a negative on, like Hitler’s “Mein Kampf”. That is why it is important to be informed about what you are reading and what others are reading so it is apparent what kind of message is being used to impact their way of thinking.
Stories are a major theme in Sherman Alexie’s, “The Indian Killer.” Every character in the novel had or used stories to shape who they were. Jack Wilson wrote stories about Indians to gain a sense of belonging. Truck Schultz used stories to deceive others and to gain popularity. John Smith made up stories of a past he did not posses. Growing up in a white community, John used these stories as an escape from the pain of feeling alone. He often imagined his life on a reservation, living amongst his family and other Indians who could show him how to be a “real” Indian.
ReplyDeleteStorytelling is a very powerful tool. Stories convey ideas, customs, beliefs, knowledge, traditions, and cultural standards. Without stories, what would we be base our lives off of? With no past there cannot be a future. Storytelling enables you to stir the emotions of others and to take them on a journey with you. Stories allow them to see life through your eyes. Stories are not all good, though. Stories also have the power to destroy. Many people’s reputations have been ruined because a story or stories have been told about them, true or not.
Stories can affect anybody’s life in dramatic ways. Words are powerful tools that can wreck a reputation or build it up. There are many different ways in which stories and words can dramatically change people’s lives. There are fables, gossip, slander, tradition and many other forms of stories that I want to look at.
ReplyDeleteOf the different stories I listed, they all can make people react in different ways based purely on nothing but what one person says. Fables told to someone when they are a child can make people not do one thing or the other for the rest of their life for fear of the consequences. Gossip can cause people to not interact with someone or the other for a reason that might not even be true. Slander is intertwined with gossip because it is usually one and the same but again can cause people to no longer associate or vote for someone just based on a tale. Tradition, on the other hand, can be one short story or the other told to you by a family member or a friend and leave someone doing something for the rest of their life for some reason that they do not even know. At some point it has to be asked if you even know why you are doing what you are doing. Is it cultural based? Or is it the product of a story with origins unknown? Even if looking in a book at the characters in it and their development, they are all deeply affected by stories. Jack Wilson from Sherman Alexie’s Indian Killer starts out his life with a story he made up. Wilson knew he was part Native American but not what kind, so he made up the rest.
Stories affect our lives in a deep way. Many often do not realize why they do one thing or another or whether there is even any truth in what they have been told. Many of us are purely creatures of story.
After reading the "Indian Killer", I determined how the lives of it's characters were shaped and also damaged by them. Such as in the case of John Smith and the story of his birth and the treatment or abuse by his adopted father(Daniel Smith). I felt this such treatment is what easily have made him a person of suspect to be the "Indian Killer". His father would beat him to make or in my mind to beat out of him the thoughts or feelings of his indian heritage. this in itself is enough to drive a person to possible insanity or fits of rage to commit such acts. This story as well as the stories told by Reggie Polatkin, Marie Polatkin as well as Dr Faulkner were stories of merit. Like so many other stories told throughout history whether it is the story told about Jesus Christ or any other great historical figures and their lives stories can have a lasting impression that can help to shape the lives and thoughts of those of us whom they are passed down to.
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