ETHNIC IDENTITY IN "THE LONE RANGER AND TONTO FISTFIGHT IN HEAVEN" BY SHERMAN ALEXIE

Abstract

In this article, I analyze the image that the main short-stories of the anthology The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, by Sherman Alexie, convey of Native Americans, nowadays, in order to draw their identity profile. The text is structured according to several elements, which are relevant to define identity: sense of community, reinvented traditions, idols and role models, oral traditions and connection with nature. In the spirit of Cultural Studies, I resort to the opinions of Historians, Sociologists, Anthropologists and Folklorists who have debated this theme.