Developing homosocial and homoerotic themes in the work of Sherman Alexie

30 Pages·2015·0.86 MB·English

by  Anson Ferguson

Lehigh University
Lehigh Preserve
Theses and Dissertations
2003
Developing homosocial and homoerotic themes in
the work of Sherman Alexie
Anson Ferguson
Lehigh University
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Ferguson, Anson, "Developing homosocial and homoerotic themes in the work of Sherman Alexie" (2003).Theses and Dissertations.
Paper 835.
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Ferguson, Anson
The Cosby Show
and Its Role In
Breaking
Stereotypes
January 2004
Developing Homosocial andHomoerotic Themes
in theWorkofShermanAlexie
by
Anson Ferguson
AThesis
Presentedto theGraduate and Research Committee
ofLehighUniversity
in Candidacy for the Degree of
MasterofArts
In
English
LehighUniversity
May23rd 2003
,

Table ofContents
Certficate ofApproval. .ii
Abstract. 1
"DevelopingHomosocia1 andHomoerotic Themes
inthe WorkofShermanAlexie" .2
Works Cited 23
Vita 24
111
Abstract
In "DevelopingHomosocial and Homoerotic Themes inthe WorkofSherman
Alexie," specific patterns ofhomosocial andhomoerotic behavior inthe author's
novels are studiedto find out ifShermanAlexie believes that suchbehavioris healthy
formales..Inhis earlierwriting, Alexie- a Spokane/Coeurd'Alene Indian
experimentswith homosocial relationships, which are defined as loving and
affectionate interactionbetweentwo heterosexual partners ofthe same gender. As
Alexie develops as awriter, he moves towards the theme ofthe homoerotic.
Homoeroticismis defined as sexual feelings orsexual interactionbetweentwo people
ofthe same genderwho considerthemselves to beheterosexual. Alexie contrasts
homosocial andhomoerotic relationships with havingno relationship atall. Alexie
illustrates inhis storiesthat strongmale-male interaction, regardless ofsexual
orientation, is always healthy for the humanspirit, thus dispellingprejudicialnotions
onhomosexuality.
1
DevelopingHomosocial and Homoerotic Themes
in the WorkofSherman Alexie
ByAnson Ferguson
Overthe last decade, as ShermanAlexie developedas awriter, the male-male
relationships he describes inhis stories move progressively from homosocial behavior
to homoerotic behavior. Homosocial interaction is best definedas havingvery strong
feelings for aperson ofthe same sex, butwith no sexual activitypresent. Homosocial
relationships displaythe same love and affection that siblingbrothers may have for
each other. Ifthere is any intimacy displayed, sexual connotations cannotbe found.
Homoerotic interaction, however, involves sexual feelings, as bothpartners inthe
relationship have intimate sexual feelings for one another. The defining characteristic
ofhomoerotic behavioris that neitherpartnerasserts himselfas ahomosexual, ora
person desiring intimate and sexualr~lations with aperson ofthe same sexual
orientation. The bondthatthey share, however, has causedthe two partnersto veer
into sexual intimacy.
Throughhis tales ofhomosocial andhomoeroticbehavior among men, Alexie
accuratelyproves thathomoerotic interactionin amale-male relationship is
acceptable. This behavioralso emerges as apositive factor inthe development of
manhood. Alexie details the effects ofstronghomosocial interaction through the
friendships outlined in The LoneRangerandTonto Fistjight inHeaven, as well as
Reservation Blues; he shows the destructiveness ofnothavingahomosocial
relationship inIndian Killer; and he demonstrates homoerotic behaviorwhich is
beneficial to male-male relations in The ToughestIndian in the World. As Alexie
2
grows as awriter, he becomes more comfortable givingvarious portraits ofmale
bonding, as evidencedbyhis increasinglygraphic descriptions.
While Alexie probes the dynamic ofmale-malerelationships, his true
intention lies in associating these types ofrelationships withthe development of
Native Americanmen. Indianboys learn to become menthrough theirexperiences in
life, but also throughtheirinteraction with theirmalepeers. Whether itis homosocial
orhomoerotic, Alexie provesthat the progression ofNativeAmericanmanhood is
incompletewithout male bonding ofsome kind.
One ofAlexie's earlierbooks, titled TheLoneRangerand Tonto Fistjight in
Heaven, deals with ahomosocialrelationship betweentwo mennamedVictor and
Thomas Builds-the-Fire. Thename ofaparticularlyrelevant short story is "ThisIs
WhatItMeans to SayPhoenix, Arizona." Although the two characters are markedly
different- Victoris describedas ahandsome young manwhileThomas is seen as
nerdyandannoying- theirexistence seems incompletewithouteachother. The
majorconnectionthatthe two men have is through Victor's father, who has recently
died inArizona. WhenVictorneeds money to travel from the Spokane Indian
ReservationinMontanato Phoenix, Arizona, to burytheremains ofhis father,
Thomas gratefully offers to lendVictorthe money. BothVictorandThomas were
closeto Victor's father, afact thatcomes as arevelationto Victor:
"MyfathernevertoldmeaboutfindingyouinSpokane,"Victor
said.
"Hesaidhewouldn'ttellanybody. Didn'twantmeto getin
trouble. ButhesaidIhadtowatchoutforyouaspartofthedeal."
"Really?"
"Really. Yourfathersaidyouwouldneedthehelp. Hewasright."
"That'swhyyoucamedownherewithme, isn'tit?"Victorasked.
3
"Icamebecauseofyourfather.~,l
Despitetheirdifferences, bothmen find themselves alienatedbytheir
surroundings. Victor, thoughwell-known in the Indian community, struggles to find
meaning inhis life, as his loss ofemployment at the BureauofIndianAffairs
demonstrates. Thomas is ahumble man, yet isneglected bythe people inhis
communitybecauseofhis incessant story-telling. Throughthe memoryofVictor's
father, however, the two men find solace in each other. This sentimentis evidenced
intheirchildhood: "WhenVictorwas twelve, he steppedinto an undergroundwasp
nest. His foot was caught inthe hole, and no matterhow hardhe struggled, Victor
couldn'tpull free. He mighthave diedthere, stung athousand times, ifThomas
Builds-the-Fire hadnot comeby" (68).
Evenwiththeirnatural bond, VictorandThomas's relationship was strained
by puberty: "Whentheywerefifteen andhadlong since stoppedbeingfriends, Victor
andThomas gotinto afistfight. Thatis, Victorwas really drunk andbeat Thomas up
for no reason at all" (65). Here, adolescence exposes the differences betweenthe two
characters, as Victortries to separatehimselffrom Thomasthrough physical means.
The strengthofthe bond is displayed, however, whenVictoris compelledto
reveal his feelings aboutthe incidentto Thomas years later:
"Listen,"Victorsaidastheystoppedinfrontofthetrailer. "I
nevertoldyouIwassorryforbeatingyouupthattime."
"Oh,itwasnothing. Wewerejustkidsandyouweredrunk."
"Yeah,butI'mstillsorry."
"That'sallright."(67)
1ShermanAlexie, "ThisIsWhatItMeanstoSayPhoenix,Arizona,"fromTheLoneRangerand
TontoFistfightinHeaven(NewYork: AtlanticMonthlyPress, 1993),69-70. Subsequentpage
numberstothisstoryareincludedparentheticallyinthetext.
4
Victor, rememberingthecrueltyofhis actions, feels thathe must apologizeforhis
crueltyto Thomas. AlthoughThomas himselfacknowledges immaturityas the cause
for the event, Victorfeels ashamedto have harmed someonewith whomhe shares a
closebond.
Eventually, the differences betweenVictorandThomas take themaway from
the characteristics ofatrue homosocialrelationship:
VictorknewthatThomaswouldremainthecrazystory-tellerwho
talkedtodogs andcars,wholistenedto thewindandpinetrees. Victor
knewthathecouldn'treallybefriends withThomas,evenafterallthathad
happened. Itwascruelbutitwasreal. Asrealas theashes,as Victor's
father, sittingbehindtheseats.
"Iknowhowitis,"Thomassaid. "Iknowyouain'tgoingtotreat
meanybetterthanyoudidbefore. Iknowyourfriendswouldgiveyoutoo
muchshitaboutit."(74)
Therelationship betweenVictor andThomashas been so popularamong
readers thatafull-length movie calledSmoke Signals was made. Written and
producedbyAlexie himself, themovie is anadaptation of"ThisIs WhatItMeans to
SayPhoenix, Arizona," as the homosocial aspects ofthe two Indian characters are
maintained onthe big screen. ThonWarren Gilroy, author of"AnotherFine Example
ofthe OralTradition? Identificationand Subversion in ShermanAlexie's Smoke
Signals," illustrates theunderlying theme thatmakes Victor andThomas' relationship
so important:
Throughoutthenarrative, theviewerslistentoThomas storiesandforthe
l
mostpartfindtheyoccupyasimilarpositiontothatofVictor. Victorhas
"heardthestoriesathousandtimes"andstilldoesn'tknow"whatthehell
Thomasissayingmostofthetime,"repeatedlytellingThomasthat"heis
sofull ofshit." FromamodernistperspectiveVictormighteasilybeseen
asthealienated,questingprotagonistseparatedfromhisself,family, and
culture. However,thegeneralizedcharacterizationiscomplicatedbythe
culturalspecificityofhisinternalizedracistassumptionsofwhatitmeansto
be"arealIndian.,,2
ThonWarrenGilroy, "AnotherFineExampleoftheOralTradition? IdentificationandSubversionin
2
ShermanAlexie'sSmokeSignals,"fromSAIL:StudiesinAmericanIndianLiterature 13 (2001): 34.
5