Identify one or two sentences from a short story. Include your selected sentence(s) at the top of your entry and cite the author and page number. Then, write a post in which you reflect on the sentence and its meaning for the story as a whole. In effect, your post will offer a close reading of the sentence you’ve selected.
While something could be said about every sentence in a work of literature, some sentences will lend themselves to robust analysis better than others. Think carefully about the sentence(s) you choose to write about to ensure you will have plenty to say. The sentence(s) you choose might illuminate something about a character or raise questions about the meaning of an event.
In your analysis of your sentence(s), reflect on tone, word choice, style, sentence structure, and any other details that stand out to you. Your response should address not only key details that influence the meaning of the sentence, but also what the sentence illustrates about the meaning of the story overall.
This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona
“One of his dreams came true for just a second, just enough to make it real.”
This sentence takes place after Thomas Builds-the-Fire jumps off the roof of the tribal school and flies which makes all the other boys jealous. I don’t think that Thomas Builds-the-Fire was literally able to fly. I think this paragraph serves to show why Thomas Builds-the-Fire was ostracized from the rest of the tribe. Usually flying is a representation of freedom and escape. Thomas Builds-the-Fire is disconnected from the tribe and instead spends his time in his own world with his stories. Thomas Builds-the-Fire’s stories don’t seem to be real stories but delusions. In the quote “dreams” is refereeing to Thomas Builds-the-Fire’s stories.
Through his “dreams” Thomas Builds-the-Fire is able to escape the reality of living on the reservation. Victor shows how broke the reservation is and how they’re struggling. He isn't even able to get the money to pick up his father's body. Thomas Builds-the-Fire is able to live in his dreams and predictions and avoid any real responsibility. The other boys hate him and bully him for this exact reason. They’re jealous that he has this form of escape and resentment him for it.
While something could be said about every sentence in a work of literature, some sentences will lend themselves to robust analysis better than others. Think carefully about the sentence(s) you choose to write about to ensure you will have plenty to say. The sentence(s) you choose might illuminate something about a character or raise questions about the meaning of an event.
In your analysis of your sentence(s), reflect on tone, word choice, style, sentence structure, and any other details that stand out to you. Your response should address not only key details that influence the meaning of the sentence, but also what the sentence illustrates about the meaning of the story overall.
This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona
“One of his dreams came true for just a second, just enough to make it real.”
This sentence takes place after Thomas Builds-the-Fire jumps off the roof of the tribal school and flies which makes all the other boys jealous. I don’t think that Thomas Builds-the-Fire was literally able to fly. I think this paragraph serves to show why Thomas Builds-the-Fire was ostracized from the rest of the tribe. Usually flying is a representation of freedom and escape. Thomas Builds-the-Fire is disconnected from the tribe and instead spends his time in his own world with his stories. Thomas Builds-the-Fire’s stories don’t seem to be real stories but delusions. In the quote “dreams” is refereeing to Thomas Builds-the-Fire’s stories.
Through his “dreams” Thomas Builds-the-Fire is able to escape the reality of living on the reservation. Victor shows how broke the reservation is and how they’re struggling. He isn't even able to get the money to pick up his father's body. Thomas Builds-the-Fire is able to live in his dreams and predictions and avoid any real responsibility. The other boys hate him and bully him for this exact reason. They’re jealous that he has this form of escape and resentment him for it.
Your point that Thomas's stories function as dreams which also offer some escape from the reservation is really interesting and thought-provoking! I think it makes a lot of sense for the flashback to Thomas-Builds-the-Fire flying--a moment that sets him apart from the other boys (in a way that's viewed more positively). Many of his stories also seem to connect him more deeply to his community, though. For instance, the story about two boys going on an adventure and then returning home to their reservation (where they are celebrated) anticipates his future journey with Victor and suggests that the return home is an important part of the narrative. Likewise, when he goes to Spokane Falls (away from the reservation) the "vision" he has there--Victor's father--brings him back home.
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