Summary/Application Assignment #2

Summary:

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" (Coulombe 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" (Coulombe 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" (Coulombe 108).

Application:

Coulombe uses the common thread of humor to speak of Alexie’s stories in The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. He discusses why Alexie uses his humor the way he does and finds that, “Laughter might discomfort and confuse us, but it also prompts thinking, growth, and change” (Coulombe 112). I will focus on how humor and laughter can promote change and growth within Alexie’s works.

In Alexie’s story “This is What it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona”, humor and laugher creates a bond with the gymnast on the plane to Phoenix. They’re looked at as peers enduring a boring flight first, not as Indians. Victor says after the flight: “Yeah but everybody talks to everybody on airplanes” (Alexie 67). He follows this with: “It’s too bad we can’t always be that way” (Alexie 67). Why does Victor discount this positive connection with this woman? This is probably because he is so used to negative interactions with white people. He cannot believe that a white woman, a pretty gymnast, would not be prejudiced against them for being Indian. This humor on the flight will lead to a change in the way the gymnast feels about Indians in a generally positive way, as well as change the way Victor looks at his interactions with whites. Perhaps he will not be so prejudiced and always think every white person automatically dislikes him because he’s an Indian. The woman on the flight saw it as an after-thought: “Hey…You two are Indian, right?” (Alexie 66). Perhaps his relationship with whites in general will grow and improve because of her positive response to their conversation: “Cathy the gymnast smiled and waved good-bye” (Alexie 67), “The three of them talked for the duration of the flight” (Alexie 67), and “They all laughed” (Alexie 66). This, according to Coulombe, is an example of “Alexie’s sophisticated use of humor unsettles conventional ways of thinking and compels re-evaluation and growth” (Coulombe 95).

In “Because My Father Always Said He Was the Only Indian Who Saw Jimi Hendrix Play ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ At Woodstock”, racism and racial discrimination takes a large role. The Woodstock photographer profits off of this racism: “The photographer won a Pulitzer Prize” (Alexie 25). Very little about racism can be seen as funny, but Alexie treats them as such, especially when it comes to the picture the Times ran on Victor’s father: “The editors capitalized on my father’s Native American identity with other headlines like One Warrior Against War and Peaceful Gathering Turns Into Native Uprising” (Alexie 25). This humor leads to Victor’s father being used as an example in court and being jailed. This makes the reader uncomfortable, however, the change and growth promoted by this is the leaving of his wife and son, as well as the breaking up of his marriage. Victor’s father, because of this event, grows to become assimilated into white America: “Don’t know shit about music either. Especially you Indian kids. You all have been spoiled by those drums. Been hearing them beat so long, you think that’s all you need. Hell, son, even an Indian needs a piano or a guitar or saxophone now and again“(Alexie 30). This is unsettling and a good example of what Coulombe asserts: “Alexie rarely offers an easy moral-to-the-story; the questions he raises—and the world he depicts—have few simple answers” (Coulombe 97). No one ever said that all humor in Alexie’s works promote growth and change for the better. Some of it has to be negative.

“The Approximate Size of My Favorite Tumor” is another short story by Alexie that uses humor as an agent of change. According to Coulombe, “In this story more than any other, [Alexie] demonstrates the power of humor both to bring people together and tear people apart” (Coulombe 98). The change seen in this story of Alexie’s is both negative and positive. Coulombe states that: “Both the humor and the tumor are potentially dangerous aspects of Jimmy’s life” (Coulombe 98). Certainly, here humor is seen as an agent of change and growth. The question is whether it is positive or negative.
Norma is driven away by the jokes Jimmy makes” “Norma heard what I had to say, stood up, and left me” (Alexie 159). However, this humor allows him to cope with the dramatic and painful changes occurring in his life. The use of humor that Jimmy uses to cope is best seen in the conversation with his doctor:
“So…What’s my latest prognosis?”
“Well…It comes down to this. You’re dying.”
“Not again.”
“Yup, Jimmy, you’re still dying.” (Alexie 162)
This humor, Coulombe asserts, “is a coping mechanism that borders on denial” (Coulombe 98), but a coping mechanism nonetheless. It is with this humor that Jimmy will learn to die. It is because of this humor that Norma eventually returns to him.
Humor allows a reader to look at each of Alexie’s stories in this collection as independent of one another and allows the reader to relate. This relation alone can promote positive change and growth by white culture simply becoming more accepting of Indian culture. Every culture on Earth laughs. That creates a common bond between us all. This laughter is an incredible force to facilitate the beginnings of understanding. When you laugh with someone, you see them as a person and a peer, not as a person of their particular race first. This humor and laughter can break down walls of hate, racism, and prejudice between people. We just have to let it. In Alexie’s best words: “Do you believe laughter can save us?” (Alexie 152). Yes, I believe it can.


Works Cited:

Alexie, Sherman. The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. New York: Grove Press, 2005.

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.