Narrative Style in Sherman Alexie's "The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven"

Introduction: Style as Connection

Style is an element that is easy to overlook when analyzing a literary work, yet it is a key piece in distinguishing authors. It is a tool used to help readers put themselves in the perspective of the narrator or characters at hand. Sherman Alexie's "The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven" is a prime example of how style can bring life to a work. The story centers on a young Native American man troubled with relationship and internal strife, struggling to find the motivation he needs to become successful. The style of "The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven" allows Alexie a deeper connection to the growing number of young adults who have difficulties finding their way, as well as insinuates background information that might otherwise be missed. His diction choice and sentence structure effectively relate to this audience while dealing with such issues as alcoholism and relationship troubles.

Dialogue and Narrative Intimacy

A key strategy Alexie uses in this work is a sense of dialogue between the narrator and the reader. He places the reader in an atmosphere that creates a one-on-one conversation with the storyteller. Beyond creating a connection to the narrator, this use of dialogue allows the reader to comprehend much more than simply what has been written in the text. The first time he brings up his ex-girlfriend, he writes, "She left me not long after that. No, I left her and don't blame her for anything. That's how it happened" (402). This simple sentence structure is a key tool used to portray the sense of conversation between narrator and reader, effectively allowing the reader to assume things about this past relationship and the roles each person played within it.

Thematic Relevance and Social Context

Alexie has mastered the skill of relating with struggling young adults by strategically selecting topics for his characters to struggle with. While depicting an argument with his girlfriend, Alexie writes, "You're just like your brother," she'd yell. "Drunk all the time and stupid" (404). By subtly bringing up the main character's abuse of and eventual sobriety from alcohol, he puts readers in the perspective of what it is like being a young Native American predisposed to alcoholism.

One area Alexie addresses that many other authors are unable to capture is the experience of being subjected to racial profiling. In one incident, the main character is in a 7-Eleven simply buying a creamsicle. Yet the fact that he is Native American and it is three in the morning instantly arouses in the store clerk a sense of danger. Having been in the same situation, the main character can quickly identify the clerk's unease. Another instance occurs after the main character and his girlfriend get in a fight. He is out for a drive to clear his head when he ends up in an upper-class neighborhood. He gets pulled over and the officer says, "You're making people nervous. You don't fit the profile of the neighborhood" (403). This passage solidifies Alexie's ability to relate to an audience most authors have trouble connecting with by showing that he understands what many of his readers might be going through.

Personal Responsibility and Growth

As the plot develops, Alexie reveals the main character to have a skill in basketball exceeding most of his fellow peers. Growing tired of television and hoping to relive some of his old glory days, he decides to start playing again, only to find that the new BIA's son—a white boy—takes control of the game with an unmatched skillset. This realization that he is responsible for his own success on the court is a metaphor signifying that he is responsible for the outcomes in his life. This message is a valuable lesson for the main character and reader alike, a message that Alexie's style of writing successfully conveys.

As the story comes to an end, after the main character's realization that he is responsible for his life's outcome, he finds a job in Spokane answering phones for the high school exchange program. He receives a call from his ex-girlfriend in Seattle. The phone call is typical of two people once in love reminiscing on what they once shared. It is evident from Alexie's style that the main character has realized his responsibility in why the relationship did not work out. What remained unclear to him at the beginning of the story—who was responsible for the ending of the relationship—has been clarified by his apology. "Listen," I said. "I'm sorry for everything" (407) is the quote that makes it clear to the reader that the main character has a newly found perspective. Perhaps the constant profiling from society, though evident, was not the premise for his difficulty succeeding in a life filled with setbacks.

Conclusion: The Power of Literary Style

Alexie puts to use his unique style not only to relate to his audience but also to implant background knowledge of the subject at hand without having to elaborate or clarify. His simple sentence structure exceeds most others in its effectiveness to create a dialogue from character to reader. While some may scrutinize Alexie's character choices, scholar Joseph Coulombe of the American Indian Quarterly writes, "Alexie's stories—as a collection—demand reader recognition of the wider context. His characters are not self-destructive losers; they are sympathetic, complex individuals trying to cope within a racist society." "The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven" is a pristine example of how significant a role style can play in a literary work. It can tie loose ends that readers may encounter through the text, as well as bring the sense of having a personal relationship with the narrator and main character.