Sherman Alexie, The Lone-Ranger and Tonto: Fistfight in Heaven

Martin Kich (Wright State University)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 3.2.6: Indigenous Writing and Culture of North America - United States.
Vol. editors: Emory Elliott (University of California, Riverside), Sarah Henzi (Simon Fraser University), Padraig Kirwan (Goldsmiths College, University of London), Stephen E. Meats (Pittsburg State University)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1993

Places

United States (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Novel

Resources

The twenty-two stories in Alexie’s first collection, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, are set on the reservation. Because almost every aspect of the characters’ lives comes under the purview of one government agency or another, the characters are fundamentally disconnected from the rhythms of their own daily experience. Just as there has always been a thin line between bureaucratic paternalism and exploitation, there are, in practice, fine but nonetheless profound distinctions between trying to sustain or even to resurrect some of the old cultural and spiritual traditions, and deluding oneself that a belief in the old ways can restore what history has taken. These stories feature a number of recurring …

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1347 words

Citation: Kich, Martin. "The Lone-Ranger and Tonto: Fistfight in Heaven". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 08 December 2007 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=315, accessed 24 November 2024.]

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