The character of Thomas Builds-the-Fire is developed very uniquely in Smoke Signals. Where as some might see him as childish for the way he presents himself, on a deeper level, Thomas is the more adult of the two main characters. For the most part, he does not try to be anything he is not, whereas Victor makes himself do things simply because he thinks it is what he "should be". Thomas also loves stories and uses them as a way for entertainment, holding on to memories, and other important reasons.
When Thomas tells the story of Victor's mom, he seems more enthralled by it than Victor does. Even if the story is not entirely fact based, it is believed by the people, including Thomas, and that is really what makes the story meaningful. Thomas realizes that not everything has to be based on facts to me important and meaningful to someone, and that is why he is the more grown up character throughout most of the movie.
I noticed the same thing through out the movie. The importance was not the accuracy of the stories he told, it was the messages or ideas they contained. I thought that the clash between Victor and Thomas was interesting because despite having very different personalities they both took on a very stereotypical 'Indian persona.' Thomas used the oral tradition and Victor used his hair and a stoic look to act this way. this made me contemplate if either was right, or if both were so screwed up that they thought they had to act or look a certain way to be an Indian.
ReplyDeleteI do really like this connection you made- this also reminded me of when we were watching that documentary and it told us that the person who plays the character of Thomas was trying to be his grandmother in the movie. This is really interesting to me because in Native American culture (much like many other cultures) the grandmother is very wise (Think Grandmother Willow in Pocahontas) and spiritual and this is really true of Thomas' character in this movie!
ReplyDeleteI liked the way you were looking into this main character. I also felt that Thomas seemed childish on the outside, but really was more adult and had a sense of identity, unlike Victor. Thomas' looks and actions were his own, not something that was considered "Indian" and the way he "Should" act because he is an Indian. Thomas makes you think about event in the story in a different way, since he has a sense of knowledge about many things. He always talks about Victor's dad in a good way and tries to convince Victor of this too.
ReplyDeleteThis could be said of any storytelling, from tradition, to stories about a family member, to a novel. The facts take a backseat to the emotion and images evoked and shared. Understanding that something can be significant without being "real" can be, at least for Victor, an odd concept, but one that is fundamental to all storytelling.
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