Reservation Blues
Encyclopedia
Reservation Blues is a 1995 novel by Sherman Alexie
. The novel follows the story of the rise and fall of a rock and blues band of Spokane Indians from the Spokane Reservation in Washington. As with many of Alexie’s published works, the story is complex in nature, with an underlying purpose at bringing out the truths of modern Indian lives.
Robert Johnson- African American who sold his soul to “the Gentleman” and seeks help at retrieving it in Wellpinit.
Big Mom- Large mysterious Spokane woman who lives atop Wellpinit hill and is rumored to have helped many great musicians make it big.
Victor Joseph- Town bully who becomes the lead guitarist in Coyote Springs using Robert Johnson’s old guitar
Junior Polatkin- Victor’s side-kick. He is good-natured but fails to gain the courage to stand up to victor. Eventually he becomes the drummer for Coyote Springs.
Chess Warm Water- Flathead Indian who falls for Thomas and joins Coyote Springs. She sings back-up vocals and plays the keyboard.
Checkers Warm Water- Flathead Indian sister of Chess. She falls for much older men, and joins Coyote Springs with her sister to sing back-up vocals as well as play keyboard.
Father Arnold- Middle aged, white Catholic Priest on the reservation who becomes Checkers love interest.
Mr. Sheridan and Mr. Wright- Two mysterious record company executives who offer Coyote Springs the chance of a lifetime.
Throughout the novel, a strong theme of spirituality is present. From the nagging Catholics to Big Mom and her spiritual connection with past atrocities and current events of her people, the notion of a conflict between the European beliefs and Native American beliefs is explored.
Identity
A common conflict that arises among the characters is identity. While each character seems to struggle with who he/she really is individually, they are constantly encountering characters who question who they are as a people. Examples include white people which range from those wanting to be Indian, to those who don’t believe “real Indians” even still exist and mistake them for Puerto Rican. The novel explores the concept of what it means to not only be a Spokane, but what it means to be a modern Native American.
Stories
Alexie uses stories of Thomas, along with the stories of dreams, visions, and news articles to weave his story and convey his messages of Religion and what it means to truly be an Indian. These stories must be dissected, and once a deep investigation is done, they carry a meaning which drives the plot of the novel.
Music
Aside from the obvious music of the band, music resides in everyday life of the Coyote Springs group as well as the Spokane people as a whole. To exemplify this, at one point the band members throw out anything which might create music in their house, including a squeaky pair of cowboy boots. Music is used to describe the feelings of the town, and is even shown to provide healing powers.
Sherman Alexie
Sherman Joseph Alexie, Jr. is a writer, poet, filmmaker, and occasional comedian. Much of his writing draws on his experiences as a Native American. Two of Alexie's best known works are The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven , a book of short stories and Smoke Signals, a film...
. The novel follows the story of the rise and fall of a rock and blues band of Spokane Indians from the Spokane Reservation in Washington. As with many of Alexie’s published works, the story is complex in nature, with an underlying purpose at bringing out the truths of modern Indian lives.
Significant characters
Thomas Builds-the Fire- Spokane story teller who has lived on the Spokane reservation his entire life. He is roughly 30 years old, of average build, with a mildly insecure personality. For his entire life he has been picked on by many members of the reservation.Robert Johnson- African American who sold his soul to “the Gentleman” and seeks help at retrieving it in Wellpinit.
Big Mom- Large mysterious Spokane woman who lives atop Wellpinit hill and is rumored to have helped many great musicians make it big.
Victor Joseph- Town bully who becomes the lead guitarist in Coyote Springs using Robert Johnson’s old guitar
Junior Polatkin- Victor’s side-kick. He is good-natured but fails to gain the courage to stand up to victor. Eventually he becomes the drummer for Coyote Springs.
Chess Warm Water- Flathead Indian who falls for Thomas and joins Coyote Springs. She sings back-up vocals and plays the keyboard.
Checkers Warm Water- Flathead Indian sister of Chess. She falls for much older men, and joins Coyote Springs with her sister to sing back-up vocals as well as play keyboard.
Father Arnold- Middle aged, white Catholic Priest on the reservation who becomes Checkers love interest.
Mr. Sheridan and Mr. Wright- Two mysterious record company executives who offer Coyote Springs the chance of a lifetime.
Themes
SpiritualityThroughout the novel, a strong theme of spirituality is present. From the nagging Catholics to Big Mom and her spiritual connection with past atrocities and current events of her people, the notion of a conflict between the European beliefs and Native American beliefs is explored.
Identity
A common conflict that arises among the characters is identity. While each character seems to struggle with who he/she really is individually, they are constantly encountering characters who question who they are as a people. Examples include white people which range from those wanting to be Indian, to those who don’t believe “real Indians” even still exist and mistake them for Puerto Rican. The novel explores the concept of what it means to not only be a Spokane, but what it means to be a modern Native American.
Stories
Alexie uses stories of Thomas, along with the stories of dreams, visions, and news articles to weave his story and convey his messages of Religion and what it means to truly be an Indian. These stories must be dissected, and once a deep investigation is done, they carry a meaning which drives the plot of the novel.
Music
Aside from the obvious music of the band, music resides in everyday life of the Coyote Springs group as well as the Spokane people as a whole. To exemplify this, at one point the band members throw out anything which might create music in their house, including a squeaky pair of cowboy boots. Music is used to describe the feelings of the town, and is even shown to provide healing powers.