The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven" presents a rich exploration of characters primarily from the Spokane tribe, offering insights into their lives and struggles. At the center is Victor, a complex figure embodying the experiences of a Native American living on the reservation; he grapples with family issues, personal aspirations, and cultural identity while navigating his relationships and work life. His father, a protester and free spirit, leaves a legacy of both pride and abandonment, while his mother demonstrates steadfast love despite her husband’s absence.
The narrative also introduces Thomas Builds-the-Fire, a gifted storyteller whose visions and experiences reflect the deeper cultural narratives often overlooked. Junior Polatkin, an academically gifted youth confronted by racism, represents the challenges faced by Native Americans in predominantly white institutions and the complexities of identity. Additionally, powerful female characters like Norma ManyHorses emerge, showcasing strength and resilience within their roles as caregivers and community leaders.
Overall, the characters symbolize a vibrant tapestry of life on the reservation, grappling with themes of family, identity, and cultural survival. This analysis invites readers to reflect on diverse perspectives and the ongoing impact of historical and social contexts on individual lives.
The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Sherman Alexie
First published: 1993
Genre: Short fiction
Locale: The Spokane Indian Reservation, Wellpinit, Washington
Plot: Comic realism
Time: The 1960's through the 1980's
Victor, a member of the Spokane tribe living on the reservation. At the age of five, he snuggles between his drunk parents to sleep. He is a gifted fancydancer at the age of nine and plays high school basketball. He surprises tribal members by playing the music of Béla Bartók at a barbecue. He is sporadically employed and drinks at times. His romances are not successful. He is a generous person and often apologetic. He retrieves his father's ashes from Phoenix and notes that he can have a reunion with his high school classmates any weekend at the local bar. His needs are simple; primarily what he wants out of life is a fair trade.
Victor's father, a protester of the Vietnam War who spent time in Walla Walla, Washington, and was at Woodstock when Jimi Hendrix played the national anthem. He takes his children to visit Hendrix's gravesite and survives a serious motorcycle accident. He maintains that his wife is extremely beautiful. An absentee father, he travels around the country and dies in Phoenix.
Victor's mother, who met her husband at a Spokane party and accepts his chronic absence from their marital life. She loves her husband in a steadfast way and weeps when he is found dead, even though they no longer lived together.
Thomas Builds-the-Fire, a childhood friend of Victor and Junior who is a consummate storyteller and self-proclaimed visionary. At the age of ten, he shares use of a bicycle with Victor; five years later, Victor deliberately beats him while drunk. He accompanies Victor to Phoenix and worries about killing the lone animal in Nevada on the return trip. His storytelling abilities have been evident since his youth, but there is not the audience for them that he believes should exist.
Junior Polatkin, who is educated at a white school and lives off the reservation for a time. As a child, he is tormented by non-Indian peers. He is academically advanced, however, doing junior high school spelling in the second grade. A juvenile diabetic, his ketoacidosis is mistaken for drunkenness. After being named valedictorian of his farm school, he attends college. He has a non-Indian girlfriend in Seattle; they fight frequently and break up. He fathers a son and has parental visitation rights.
NormaManyHorses, a powerful woman. She is self-sufficient, as handy on the back of a horse as on a basketball court, and considered to be a problem-solver. She works as a sports reporter for the local paper. She is an excellent dancer and acts as moral arbiter for tribal issues. Her fry-bread is legendary, and she is married to James Many Horses, for whom she cares while he is in the later stages of terminal cancer.
James Many Horses, Norma's husband. He is willing to ride in reverse in Simon's car to retrieve Norma from the Powwow Tavern. He has a humorous attitude about life and his illness. He has been a jokester since his childhood.
Julius Windmaker, a young reservation basketball hero who began drinking Sterno before graduating from high school. This caused him to lose his athletic edge.