In
this short story Sherman Alexie gives further insight towards the personality
of the narrator. The text specifically views a continued tradition inherited
from the narrator’s father, picking up Indian hitchhikers. The simple act carries
many implications, particularly dealing with the narrator’s self-identity
issues. Although in other stories of the collection, the narrator attempts to
negate his Native American blood by exhibiting his successful anglo life style,
he embraces it in the hitchhiking act exhibited in “The Toughest Indian in the
World”.
The narrator chooses to retain a
tradition of his culture by picking up Indian hitchhikers. Through this custom
he remains attached to his background, despite being told otherwise. His father
reminds him that the salmon, the Spokane cultural symbol, has no hope, meaning
that the culture’s identity has evaporated. This decay of cultural identity is
once again exemplified through the warrior hitchhiker, who makes a living out
of hurting his people. The narrator’s
interaction with the hitchhiker demonstrates that he is attempting to keep his
culture alive. This can be seen when he mentions “I wanted to tell the fighter
that I pick up all Indian hitchhikers, young and old, men and women, and get
them a little closer to home, even if I can’t get them all the way” (Alexie
30). The narrator not only physically takes the passengers closer to home, yet
figuratively he is attempting ot take them back to their roots, reminding
himself where he came from. At the end
of his encounter with the fighter the narrator states “But I wanted him to save
me…I smelled like salmon” (Alexie 32). The warrior is portrayed as a savior for
the narrator, arousing the scent of salmon, the representation of hope for the
Spokane people. The narrator fulfills the hitchhiking act to remain identified
with his ethnic background despite the anglo lifestyle he pursues.
Alexie, Sherman. "The Toughest
Indian in the World." The Toughest Indian in the World. New-York:
Grove, 2000. 21-34. Print.
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