Fiction Essay assignment: Dynamic Character Write about a protagonist who is dynamic, who undergoes growth or change, in one of the stories we have read. Some of the stories we have read show characters who do not grow, so you have to choose a story in which there is some change in the main character. Your essay must show a clear contrast between the traits of the character before the change and the traits after the change. You may include a discussion of incidents or issues that cause the change, or you may show how the change reveals the author’s theme. HINT: Your paper might be set up as a comparison/contrast. I am posting the story i chose to write about: i chose victor as my character to write about. i want to focus on how the death of his father humble him. This Is What It Means To Say Phoenix, Arizona” by Sherman Alexie First published in Esquire In 1994 Anthologized in Best American Short Stories of 1994 Adapted with other Alexie stories for the 1998 film Smoke Signals Just after Victor lost his job at the BIA, he also found J out that his father had died of a heart attack in Phoenix, Arizona. Victor hadn’t seen his father in a few years, only talked to him on the telephone once or twice, but there still was a genetic pain, which was soon to be pain as real and immediate as a broken bone. Victor didn’t have any money. Who does have money on a reservation, except the cigarette and fireworks salespeople? His father had a savings account waiting to be claimed, but Victor needed to find a way to get to Phoenix. Victor’s mother was just as poor as he was, and the rest of his family didn’t have any use at all for him. So Victor called the Tribal Council. “Listen,” Victor said. “My father just died. I need some money to get to Phoenix to make arrangements.” “Now, Victor,” the council said. “You know we’re having a difficult time financially.” “But I thought the council had special funds set aside for stuff like this.” “Now, Victor, we do have some money available for the proper return of tribal members’ bodies. But I don’t think we have enough to bring your father all the way back from Phoenix.” “Well,” Victor said. “It ain’t going to cost all that much. He had to be cremated. Things were kind of ugly. He died of a heart attack in his trailer and nobody found him for a week. It was really hot, too. You get the picture.” “Now, Victor, we’re sorry for your loss and the circumstances. But we can really only afford to give you one hundred dollars.” “That’s not even enough for a plane ticket.” “Well, you might consider driving down to Phoenix.” “I don’t have a car. Besides, I was going to drive my father’s pickup back up here.” “Now, Victor,” the council said. “We’re sure there is somebody who could drive you to Phoenix. Or is there somebody who could lend you the rest of the money?” “You know there ain’t nobody around with that kind of money."
