Throughout most of the books we have read this semester, I have noticed a lot of symbolism. I think one big misunderstanding is that because they are children or young adult books, there are no real meanings. That is not the case. These books are amazing and really make the reader analyze the text. The symbolism truly adds another dimension to the story.
One symbol that I see throughout Alexie's book is honesty. I say this because I feel that Alexie is being very open and honest about being a Native American and the actual culture involved. A lot of times people including myself have a common misconceptions about Native Americans. We see them as living in tipi's and wearing cloth etc. I think Alexie does a very thorough job of trying to symbolically show the reader how Native Americans live on a day to day basis. In a way it seems he makes fun of it because of how simple their culture actually is.
Another symbol I see throughout the novel is struggle. I think that Alexie is trying to show the reader how hard it is growing up, being a part of a very different culture, and making ends meet. He does a great job making these struggles light hearted because of the comedy involved. I feel that ultimately, Alexie is proving to the reader that struggle comes from all directions and effects everyone, but you have to determine how to handle it.
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I would never have thought of honesty and struggle as symbols throughout the book... when I read the question, I was thinking more of physical symbols, but I like how you talked about these two emotional/spiritual concepts as symbols in the book. I agree totally that these two things are extremely important throughout the novel. Interesting!
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