The Rez and the Rest - American Indian Identity and the Negotiation of Space in Selected Works by Sherman Alexie

Abstract

Space is a central theme in American Indian literature and politics, and it is especially important with regard to identity formation. In this thesis four novels by Spokane author Sherman Alexie will be analyzed according to how they deal with the interplay between space and Indian identity. The final chapter will also test the applicability of the notion of the cosmopolitan patriot, as explained by Kwame Anthony Appiah. It will be argued that the two older novels, "Reservation Blues" and "Indian Killer", provide a very different view on this interrelation than the two newer novels "Flight" and "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian".