Native American spirituality is one aspect of Native American culture that Sherman Alexie explores in this novel. For instance, in the chapter titled "Revenge Is My Middle Name," Junior and Rowdy attend the local powwow, but more of what the reader sees here is the traditional events for the Native Americans. A more spiritual moment happens when Junior's grandmother dies. In "Wake," Junior describes how the community comes together for him, his family, and his...
Native American spirituality is one aspect of Native American culture that Sherman Alexie explores in this novel. For instance, in the chapter titled "Revenge Is My Middle Name," Junior and Rowdy attend the local powwow, but more of what the reader sees here is the traditional events for the Native Americans. A more spiritual moment happens when Junior's grandmother dies. In "Wake," Junior describes how the community comes together for him, his family, and his grandmother:
And so, laughing and crying, we said good-bye to my grandmother. And when we said good-bye to one grandmother, we said good-bye to all of them.
Each funeral was funeral for all of us.
We lived and died together.
Even though Junior had been ostracized from the community throughout most of the novel, he comments that for this one day, everyone left him to mourn his loss, and they all came together, no matter their differences. The spirituality of the community is what Alexie wants the reader to take away from this piece, not just the traditional ideas one might have about Native American culture.
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