The use of satire and humor exposes the absurdities of life and serves as mental catalyst, making individuals question their own belief system. Sometimes, people can be either accused or excused once their thoughts are exposed. Native American writer Sherman Alexie always utilizes these methods in his works as a means to expose discrimination and stereotypes.
Sherman Alexie’s Ten Little Indian, a book containing nine short stories, tackles social issues that are particularly relevant to the daily lives of Native Americans, as well as political and social issues that affect all American citizens. Alexie illustrates how humor and satire is an effective tool in sending a message to readers.
The first short story entitled "The Search Engine" chronicles the story of Corliss, a Native American college student, as she tries to find her place among her white co-eds at Washington State University. Corliss faces the stereotypes of fellow students, who expect her to be this amazing Native American woman. In reality, she has no special qualities. In fact, she is pretty boring and ordinary.
In her search for some Native American identity, she seeks out this obscure Native American poet, Harlan Atwater. Alexie gives his title double meaning in this section of this story. Corliss uses Internet search engines in an attempt to locate him. He also plays on a negative term, engine, because Corliss is a search engine using search engines.
Alexie exposes the hidden racism that many of us harbor in the deep recesses of our minds in the story "Can I Get a Witness?." There are also political undertones throughout the story. In the story, a Native American woman, lamenting the mundaneness of her life at home with her husband and two teenage sons, is eating lunch in a café when a bomb goes off. The story illustrates the sensitivity that many people have embraced since September 11.
Because the bomber is an educated Syrian American man, Alexie outlines the fact that homegrown terrorism exists. He also shows that there are individuals who deep down think all dark-skinned people look alike. He does this when a stranger in the story sees the woman and wonders if she is Iraqi, Saudi Arabian, or Afghani, as if Native Americans look Middle Eastern and possibly a Muslim terrorist responsible for the explosion. The man acknowledges his own prejudices. Thus, this story reveals the dark areas of the heart.
"What You Pawn I Will Redeem" describes a lot of issues in Native American culture and a lot of things that are specific to the Washington State area. A quote in the story epitomizes the theme of this story, "Indians have to work hard to keep secrets from hungry white folks." The story takes us through the afternoon of a man trying to buy back an Indian artifact from a pawn shop.
The story illuminates on the problem of Indian homelessness and alcoholism in Washington State. He makes a pop culture reference to the Indian in the 1970s "Don’t Litter" ad with the crying actor portraying a Native American. Alexie makes satirical references to the affects of colonialism, even naming the character Jackson Jackson. This is a reference to President Jackson, the man who orchestrated the Trail of Tears. There are many other references that illustrate Alexie’s unique style in this story.
Sherman Alexie has always used laughter as a way to work through the pain of what it is like to grow up as a Native American in the United States. Readers don’t know whether to laugh or cry when they look at his works because of the truth behind the humor. However, Alexie does this on purpose; he wants his readers to dig into their own hearts and question their views on society. Alexie’s "The Little Indians" is a masterful use of satire and humor.
Source:
Alexie, Sherman. Ten Little Indians. New York: Grove Press. 2004.
