Setting - Sherman Alexie and Stephen King
We have been discussing setting. How to create a setting? How to
personify a setting? We have been considering setting as the world, as a
camera, as mood and symbol, and as action.
As we explore Sherman Alexie "At Navajo Monument Valley Tribal School", consider the setting.
the football field rises
to meet the mesa. Indian boys
gallop across the grass, against
the beginnings of their body.
On those Saturday afternoons,
unbroken horses gather to watch
their sons growing larger
in the small parts of the world.
Everyone is the quarterback.
There is no thin man in a big hat
writing down all the names
in two columns: winners and losers.
This is the eternal football game,
Indians versus Indians. All the Skins
in the wooden bleachers fancydancing,
stomping red dust straight down
into nothing. Before the game is over,
the eighth-grade girls’ track team
comes running, circling the field,
their thin and brown legs echoing
wild horses, wild horses, wild horses.
I think a story that continues to haunt me would be a story like the move IT. One of my biggest fears is clowns and in that movie, the main clown is terrorizing a small town and mainly young children. It reminds me of when there was a saga in real life where people would dress up as clowns and do some freaky things.
ReplyDeleteThe poem writes in a way like "the football field rises". Football fields can't move, so that is how it is personified.
ReplyDeleteI believe that this setting was able to take on that of a free spirited child. Everyone wins just because everyone is having fun, everyone feels the bliss of running around carelessly. This setting has no worries, it’s only goal is live freely
ReplyDeleteThis poem is a metaphor, and it is kind of comparing the Indians to the present day. So to me, it seems like the horses are supposed to represent the Indians, and football is supposed to represent the present-day equivalent. When reading this poem, I switch back and forth between imagining an actual football field, and imagining a field of horses. The poet tries to personify the horses as young girls running around a track, when it may just be horses running in a field.
ReplyDeleteThe setting wants us to understand how the football game taking place there is more than just a game, many things have happened in their past in the area and for them to play this game, there is more at stake mentally rather than what you can see with the eye. The way the setting was described with the connection between the wild horses and the people, to show connection to the wild life around, but also the comparison shows that rather than being so different it shows similarity. The setting has a personality of being one, that all are connected to the past but also to them world around them, especially with emphasis on the Native American aspect of the poem, putting emphasis on specific beliefs or morals. The setting is said to be one with those who are in it.
ReplyDeleteThe setting of this places the characters as individuals who are all the same. They are all working together for the same goals and no individual is better or worse than another. Using the setting of a football field and players who are normally conflicting over positions, who is better, and who will sit the bench contradicts the Indians who are described as “Everyone is the quarterback” and “Indians vs Indians.” All of the people in this poem are not looked at as better or worse but looked at as a whole. They are all valued as people who are equal. In a normal game of football, the quarterback is the main player and there is only one. In this story they all get to perform their roles as quarterback meaning each individual gets the opportunity to feel valued and desired in an important position. I think the image of the quarterback and the field truly allows the characters to portray equality.
ReplyDeleteI feel like I can picture the author did a really good job of portraying the setting. This setting reminds me of a Friday night football game in high school. I can picture the boys playing on the field and the other people cheering the team on.
ReplyDeleteIn the last two stanza, Alexie says "Before the game is over, the eighth-grade girls track team, comes running, circling the field,
ReplyDeletetheir thin and brown legs echoing
wild horses, wild horses, wild horses." Just by the author mentioning that, treated the setting at that moments as character so it's easier to visualize what the writer wants us the see.
The connection between native americans and nature is shown within this poem as the people and the setting are almost one. The setting almost seems to come to life through the way the story is being told, as if the field is an important player itself in the football match. It seems like the field wants to participate and engage within the activities which is why it beats against the feet of the players and dust is rising as people dance within the bleachers. The environment seems to be as equal as the living people who are participating in the event.
ReplyDeleteI think the poem is a metaphor to represent kids that are carefree
ReplyDeleteZoe Brewer
The poem is over all personified to create the setting
ReplyDeletethe author did a really good job at portraying the setting in this poem.I can see the image in my head he is trying to portray. “the eighth-grade girls’ track team- comes running, circling the field, their thin and brown legs echoing wild horses, wild horses, wild horses.” especially this part here. I can really see the “cheerleaders” he is referring to.
ReplyDeletelena blanke^
Deletethe poem uses a lot of personification and imagery. I think it’s describing a child in school, and did a great job at describing the setting
DeleteI like how he writes about his culture and what is important to him. I also like how he is trying to inspire other native american kids to follow their dreams and not be told what they should do. He believes that by him sharing his work and becoming a writer may bring more native americans into the writing community.
DeleteI believe it is supposed to give an autumn feeling, reminding us of the chill mornings, playing football with the family before Thanksgiving. The setting was a metaphor for how the world moved around the character.
ReplyDeleteI think the setting is like a character that is lively, exciting, busy, and beautiful. the character is beautiful because of the scenery like the open fields of wild horses, grasslands and an overall description of nature. It is also very lively because there is so much going on like football games, track teams, and Indian boys galloping.
ReplyDeleteSetting relates to these characters because every character has such a different thought process at this one event. The characters are all connected to nature but all the characters desires are different. All these characters different desires bring all the characters together.
ReplyDeleteI think that the voice of this poem could be androgynous. The poet refers to the females and males of the community, and describes some of their interactions.The poet creates a harmonious setting by describing the relationships of Native Americans between themselves and and nature. The poet personifies the setting by comparing adolescent Native Americans to horses, which creates symbolism of an active, unified community.
ReplyDeleteThe poem is giving the football field personality it’s a metaphor for a character
ReplyDeleteThe setting bonds with the characters through their connection to nature. The characters are very in tune with the nature of the setting. They want to be free, where they are compared to horses running through fields like the wind blowing through the setting.
ReplyDeletethe description of the setting gives me the same feeling as a small western town on a fall day. its description feels homey and welcoming. i picture the speaker as an older gentleman.
ReplyDeleteI think this poem is showing that anyone can do anything and how you don't always have to follow the rules. I like how it says everyone is a quarterback.
ReplyDeleteThe part of the interview that stood out to me was at the very beginning when he said that one could argue that he has been rewriting the same line that really spoke to him so many years ago.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that stood out to me was that he had no intentions on being an author or poet. He major in pre med and then law in college and then took a poetry class to find girls. I think that it is really empowering to know that we do not have to know exactly what we want to do with our lives we will find our way even if it by a fluke chance.
ReplyDeleteHow he spoke about how if he had read literature with brown/darker-skinned kids earlier, he would have probably felt more validated as a writer, which is something I can connect with a lot. There is a lack of motivation when you’re younger because of the lack of literature surrounding those who are like you, but when you get older and realize that if you want more representation then you’ll probably have to be the one to create it.
ReplyDeleteI think the poem is personified to have the character of a free and innocent spirt. The setting plays a role in this as well. Ultimately, I think there is a unique and pure view of what life truly is and what matters to you is subjective but we are all in the same game.
ReplyDeleteThis video provided perspective on the setting of the poem because it gave background into the life of the poet. The poet likes to create safe spaces for children to find their "tribe." He is trying to convey the message that you are not alone. He is also showing how important identity can be to certain demographics of individuals.
ReplyDeleteI think this poem shows setting being written like a character in the way it presents the desires, conflicts, and reputation of the School. After reading this poem, I felt like the football field and bleachers and track were representative of a character realizing the cyclic nature of human life. The setting desired to celebrate this circle of life. I think the conflicts in this setting, like a character, were internal—it realized it was the source of celebration of life, but also a symbol of aging and repetitive cycles.
ReplyDeleteI liked how he talked about how he felt connected to seeing Native American stories and it helped him to realize how much he enjoyed poetry when he originally went into the class just looking to meet girls.
ReplyDeleteI really like that he mentioned how he got into writing. It wasn't anything crazy, but it was a simple line of a book that stuck with him. It really goes to show that anyone can write!
ReplyDeleteThe setting wanted us to know that they treated everything equal. The voice to me, was like an announcer for a game talking In an inspirational tone.
ReplyDeleteI think the character is alive and the field it is talking about is an active place where everyone feels welcome.
I think that the setting that this poem provides is character like in the way he describes the landmarks more as if they were attributes. I think the setting he describes in the poem is similar to the toughness that the Navajo heritage represents through their past perseverance and the fact that they always band together no matter how old the characters may be. Something else that stood out to me was the “thin man in a big hat writing down peoples names”. I saw this image as a scout in high school football, but this game meant more than that to the heritage more than for personal accolades.
ReplyDeleteInterview Standouts:
I think something that really stood out to me about the interview is the emphasis he put on being on of the original colored poets after he came out of college. This stood out to me because everyone wants to be original but it is find to hard something you can be apart of that is in the origin process. I think this is due to the world’s fast pace tempo that we all get caught up in. Something else that stood out to me was the facts he found his passion. I hope that I find my true passion in a similar manner as it really is something to dwell on if a moment with similar retrospect passes upon you.
What stood out to me was that he tries to live by the quote “im. In the reservation of my mind” in his writing. I also found it cool that he wasn’t a poet until later on in his life, like much later- he was in premed and in law before he gained a much bigger interest in writing.
ReplyDelete-Bella Hardin
The impact writing can have really stood out to. He says that books can't change a person's life, but that it can inspire a person to change their own life. That is a huge effect, and shows that words are very powerful.
ReplyDeleteHe really fell in love with his work and the way it made him feel.
ReplyDeleteI think the poem gives a very freeing and gentle emotions throughout. Then also what stood out to me more than anything is him rewriting the same line over and over again
ReplyDeleteThe interview reminded me that anyone who wants to become a writer can
ReplyDeleteand to also make your own path of who you want to be.
I found it interesting how the book that changed his life was an actual picture book rather than a novel. I also find it interesting that he went to school for pre-med, than he went to pre-law, then he went to poetry because he “wanted to meet girls”. I just find that interesting with how he found his career.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that stood out to me is that he was pre-med, pre-law, and then decided to become a writer after taking a poetry class. It just shows how impactful writing can be and how influential it can be for someone. He felt the need to fit the stereotype of going pre-med or pre-law, but after taking that class he saw how he loved it and started doing something for him, and something he enjoyed.
ReplyDeleteI really like how he talked about his own writing and how much he enjoyed writing and reading poetry. It’s funny how he said he went into the class to meet girls, but he actually fell in love with it and made it a career.
ReplyDeleteI liked that he talks about how his characters have to do with him, I often do this, and I feel like it makes it easier to describe them. I also like how he realized he liked a specific type of writing.
ReplyDeleteWhen Sherman Alexie talked about how reading a story that related to his culture, it resonated with me. I know how important it is to have someone relate to your struggles because you feel heard. Reading “There There” last year for school made me love the book. Although it also described the stories the Native Americans, everyone person of color had similar struggles are that are overlooked. Alcoholism, gang violence, gentrification, and being stuck in that toxic cycle ins’t discussed enough so I am grateful for reading the book that comforted me.
ReplyDeleteSomething that stood out to me in the interview was when he was speaking on the book that he got in the 60s/70s about the child who was colored, and to his knowledge the only book in that time that had a colored child as a protagonist, and for him that was something very inspiring and something to strive to like to write about. I have very few books I remember but most of them are from when i was younger and for him to still bring that up as well as to show why it meant so much to him because of his experiences.
ReplyDeleteThe interview with Alexie resonated with me because he acknowledges how hard it is to make it as a writer. He is very grateful for his ability to provide for his family through his passion. I also thought it was encouraging how he spoke to the importance of seeing other writers and characters with similar origins as him in the works he read before becoming a writer; I think it is even more encouraging that it was through seeing other Native American writers and characters that he decided to become a writer.
ReplyDeleteAlison Belford: The interview showed me that the poet was not exposed to many non-white authors and poets which interests him into digging into other cultures which represents the setting in a more indigenous environment. The setting represents the culture of the Indian boys who are competing in the football game and how it may differentiate from school's with majority of students being white.
ReplyDeleteThe poem itself resonated with me because it allows us a glimpse into their life on a normal basis, and the pride that they carry. I saw the story through the eyes of a teenager, because they have a certain affinity for this world and culture. Alexie made me laugh a little when he said he took a poetry class because of the girls and then it turned his world upside down. He said something along the line of we have to make a distinction between being a person in society to being an individual. His statements are broad but they have such a deeper meaning because of his cultural ties and that’s why it’s more important than any other type of writing.
ReplyDeleteI think the setting of the poem did well on portraying imagery of Native Americans and comparing them to a game of football while also talking about the progression of life.
ReplyDeleteSome things that stood out to me from the video was that he originally went to college as a pre-med major and then unexpectedly had a change of heart and decided to study writing. I think it’s very funny that he said he only decided to take a writing class because he knew there would be lots of girls he could meet through the class and that he surprisingly fell in love with the course and it sparked his love for being a writer. I think it’s amazing how he mentions that it was almost expected for him to go into school and to become a doctor and lawyer and he took a very sharp turn and decided to become a writer. His passion for writing and the joy he gets from it is a wonderful thing to see.
ReplyDeleteexpected for him to become a doctor or a lawyer*
DeleteA lot of the setting is conveyed through movement. The action seems important rather than adjectives. Alexie talks about how important representation is and I think that is conveyed in his writing.
ReplyDeleteELLIE TERRAZAS
DeleteI like how he writes about his own culture and things that are important to him. I also like how he tries to inspire kids to follow their dreams and not listen to what people tell you should do. He believes that by him, as a native american, becoming a writer and sharing his work that other native americans will join the writing community also.
ReplyDeleteWith the Sherman Alexie video, something that resonated with me was the idea that children are often always told what to do and what to be in life, so they tend to follow a career that is almost predestined for them by their families and the expectations that precede them. This was relevant for me throughout childhood as I was forced into wanting to go into the medical field to become a high-paid doctor. Sherman Alexie realized what he actually wanted to do with his life, despite the amount of money, when he discovered how much he enjoyed poetry, and I can say I did the same when I took a psychology class last year and realized that that is the career field I want to pursue.
ReplyDeleteI love how he talked about the struggle between finding your place in the community and being an individual. I love how he also said that he would be a fan of himself and how he would be writing letters to himself. I like how everyone thought he was going into medicine and or law but he discovered his love for writing.
ReplyDeleteI believe that setting can be described similarly as a character because of the importance of the setting inside of a text. With both personification of the setting or even describing the setting through the characters with what the setting means to them.
ReplyDeleteIt’s interesting to me that he talked about wanting people who are a part of a community to also be individuals. I think his goal is to influence younger Native American boys that are growing up and Reservation to do what they want in life not necessarily what they are told to do.
ReplyDeletethe poem was able to create an image in my head while also being a metaphor. it was able to create a character and really bring the poem to life.
ReplyDeleteTHE setting of this poem was trying to get us to be able to tell that football is more than a game and it really created that image in my head. there is alot of importance when it comes to this setting and also i think thst this setiing was very cool being able to talk about whats important to them
ReplyDeleteI think he did a good job personifying the setting by using vivid and detailed description to allow the readers to visualize the setting he creates while also using it as a metaphor between the Indians and the football game.
ReplyDelete