Native American Stereotypes/ from Sherman Alexie's "The Only Traffic Light on the Reservation Doesn't Flash Anymore"

Confronting Native American Stereotypes

American children have been inundated through literature, movies and other media, with stereotypes of various cultures. While they may seem harmless, these ideas are embedded in the subconscious of each child and prove difficult to overcome. One such culture misrepresented is the Native Americans. As Jeffery Hawkins explained in his article on Native American stereotypes, most textbooks and teachers take two different approaches on teaching Native American culture. They either take the “dead and buried approach,” or the “tourist” approach. The first of these focuses on the false idea that Native Americans are an extinct race, while the other “only includes the unusual (rituals, customs, etc.) or exotic (living on reservations) components of Native American culture” (52). Many authors of different cultural backgrounds write to dispel these and various other stereotypes. Sherman Alexie is an example of an author who tries to confront the “tourist” representation of Native American culture. His short story, “The Only Traffic Signal on the Reservation Doesn't Flash Red Anymore,” humanizes the Native American culture by confronting stereotypes through a simplistic portrayal of an average day as a Native American living on a reservation.

The title “The Only Traffic Signal on the Reservation Doesn't Flash Red Anymore,” conveys Alexie's first attempt at humanizing Native American culture. Through the use of irony, this title dispels the mythical conception of a reservation being an exotic and spiritual abode, and instead portrays an average existence with concern over a broken traffic signal. Its length likewise accentuates the ordinary and average life of Native Americans. Titles tend to be short and catchy, drawing the reader in by capturing interest. This lengthy title is another example of irony written as long and boring instead of short and interesting. Alexie uses this title to foreshadow the lives of Native Americans on...