Week 4 Day Two: This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona

Combined with video clips from the movie Smoke Signals, students had a discussion on the style and symbolism in Sherman Alexie's This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona.

The video clips helped the students imagine the setting, the plot, and the characters. A few said they wanted to see the film in its entirety. This is one of those situations where the film adaptation is just as good as the story.

Here are a couple of the discussion forum posts I got from the students.

Vince G's Post:

During the specific clip, Smoke Signals - How Do We Forgive Our Fathers, the style and symbolism was clear. As the Indian stood on the bridge asking, "How could we forgive our fathers," over and over again, it seemed to me that style was grim and depressing. Leaving the view with a sad taste of regret. After seeing the man collapse to the ground, I felt the urge to approach my own father and just forgive him, for anything really, even though there is nothing wrong. The maker of this film seemed to have had the correct idea when in production. It definitely made me think.

I was also captivated by the brilliant imagery of the rapids and lighting.

There was also symbolism placed in the video. When the man was letting go of his (fathers ashes?) he began to cry. This was a symbol of letting go. He was forgiving his father by letting him go. Letting go.

Talia A's Post:

This video was the most powerful to me. I think the water in the video is symbolic of the strength that we give our fathers and the emotions they elicit.

Whether we like it or not, both water and our fathers have a huge impact on our lives. Water, like our fathers, can be a source of enjoyment but also pain. We dive and swim but can lose everything as in the tsunami in Asia and Hurricane Katrina. Both are essential to life: fathers in conception and water to maintain life.

Rivers and other bodies of water are so powerful, they can cut through rock and land. And even when they do, cut us or land deeply, the wounds may or may not heal but we must somehow continue. Water brings life to the surrounding banks, nourishing animals and crops. With these cuts, we can still grow in time. They can both be warm and cool, as in a father's attitudes or emotions. They both can be loud or soft.

We build bridges over water to get through to the other side. With our fathers, we can forgive and are, therefore, able to move forward, move on, and reach new emotional destinations. Either subject, be it water or our fathers, it is what it is, no more, no less. I think acceptance is part of that bridge.