Indian Killer by Sherman Alexie

             In the beginning of this book, the author introduces the reader to the world of Native Americans in modern-day Seattle. He tells us the struggles, plights, and hardships many Natives face. The reader also learns about a young boy who was taken from his Native mother and sent to live with a white family when he was 8 days old. Alexie tells the story of his capture and how the boy is functioning today. The boy's name is John Smith, a name with a meaning that surely did not land itself in the book unintentionally.
             John grows up and moves into Seattle from the suburbs and starts working construction. He is dark, brooding, and puzzled at the differences between the whites and people of color.
             I think that John will try and do something to fix the gap he sees between the Caucasians and the people of color. He might start making controversial art and posting it all over the city. Or he might go back to his original tribe and seek advice. Whatever he does, I predict he will do it quietly because John Smith is not a loud or boisterous man.
             Mary Smith, the woman who adopted John as her son, is one of the most interesting characters in Sherman Alexie's book. She is a white woman, but Mary gives off the impression of feeling guilty about her skin color. She loves John more than anything in the world, but she often has regrets about taking him away from his own people. Mary sees the world as a dangerous place for her son and she hates the fact that he moved away from her to go work in the city. If it was up to Mary, John and her husband would stay at home forever with her to care for them.
             A reoccurring symbol in Alexie's Indian Killer is an owl's feather. John uses it to mark his place in the world and to let people know that he does, in fact, exist. The owl is much like John Smith. Both are dark, quiet creatures
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Indian Killer by Sherman Alexie. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 11:40, March 29, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/7270.html