Summary of "The Approximate Size of His Favorite Humor"

In Coulombe's "The Approximate Size of His Favorite Humor", he attempts to show Alexie's purpose of using humor in his writing. He also examines the critical views to Alexie's use of humor. Coulombe presents Alexie's humor as "central to a constructive social and moral purpose" (94) throughout his works, as well as the similarities it shows to classic Indian 'Trickster' humor. Some critics feel that Alexie's humor puts too much of the blame on the Indians thesmelves. Most critics, however, feel that Alexie's humor disrespects the troubles Indians now face. Alexie's humor, Coulombe asserts, does not do any of those things. It simply serves the purpose Alexie intends his humor to: it makes the reader feel unsettled and challenges their conventional thought processes. This allows Alexie's characters to connect to the readers. In this unsettled space, the readers can choose for themselves what unifies and separates Indians from them. The humor creates this space for the reader to feel unsettled and stimulates independent thought. This offers an increased chance for inter-cultural understanding and seeing things from the Indian perspective. To quote Coulombe: "Alexie's stories force [the readers] to rethink own own level of culpability in a culture that fosters racism, hate and despair" (103). Alexie, Coulombe goes on to say, uses his humor to blame white America (mostly) and Indians themselves for the troubles modern-day Indians now face. In this way, Alexie uses his humor to separate Indians form whites. However, Alexie also uses humor to show the universality between our two cultures. Alexie's humor, Coulombe argues, "allows for bonds between Indians and whites" (108).

Works Cited:

Coulombe, Joseph. “The Approximate Size of His Favorite Humor: Sherman Alexie’s Comic Connections and Disconnections in The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven” American Indian Quarterly 26 (winter 2002) : p. 94-115. Project Muse. Ohio University Lib. Athens, OH.