This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona

The mood of this work, or the feeling it seeks to evoke, is predominantly one of bittersweetness. The protagonist is immediately introduced as a man who has lost his job and does not have the funds needed to settle the affairs of his estranged, deceased father. This is obviously a sad situation, but Victor’s ultimate success in retrieving his father’s ashes tempers the bleakness. The flashbacks detailing Victor and Thomas’s past friendship further contribute to the bittersweet mood, depicting a closeness that devolved into violence and contempt but that could (their trip together suggests) nevertheless be salvaged. The story also takes place against a backdrop of Alienation from Cultural Identity, but once again, the loss is not total: Details like Thomas’s stories, which often have distinctly modern twists, suggest that Indigenous traditions will endure.

Alexie uses dialogue to illuminate the contrast between Victor’s external attitude and his inner conflict. Beginning with their interaction at the Trading Post and onward throughout the plot, Victor verbalizes his ambivalence toward Thomas. Victor rejects Thomas’s help while surrounded by their peers at the Trading Post, saying it would not be right to accept his money given that they’re “not really friends anymore” (320).