Instead of specific study questions for each day's reading, I here post some overall themes and issues to look for throughout the collection of short stories:
*Titles of the stories. What do they mean? Why did he choose to name each story the way he did? What larger themes to the titles point toward?
*Humor. When do you find Alexie funny? How do you think he is using humor in these stories?
*Stereotypical representations of Native Americans. He notes in his introduction that he has been "villified" for portraying the alcoholism, fighting, etc. that goes on in Indian reservations. Why do you think he includes these issues (and so often) in his stories?
*Fiction/Autobiography/Truth/Memoir/Bias/Exaggerations. What are the differences among these different types of literature and storytelling, and how are they represented in this book?
*What does Alexie mean by "reservation realism"?
*At the end of his introduction, he identifies the overarching theme of this collection to be that "the sons in this book really love and hate their fathers." Do you agree that this is the major thems? Why or why not? What other themes do you find prevalent?
*Contemporary Indians and their relationships to: one another, the traditions of the past, the white community.
*Watch for changing styles from story to story. Why are some told in a first person POV, others in third person?
*Storytelling. What purpose does it serve in this collection? Who enjoys it, who detests it, and why?
*Food, alcohol, Diet Pepsi. Why are these items so prevalent?
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