The biggest difference between Sherman Alexie's This is what it means to say Phoenix, Arizona and Smoke Singles is the way that Thomas' parents died. In the movie they were trapped in a burning house, where Thomas also was at, however Victor's dad saved Thomas. He was also the one to start the fire, which was an accident as a result of him being drunk. In the story Thomas' father died in the war and his mother died giving birth to him. Also something that I found interesting was that in the story it's Victor that gets drunk and not his father. In the movie Victor says that he has never had any alcahol, but in the story he gets drunks and beats Thomas up.
Not having the fire happen in the story like it did in the movie really makes it seem almost completely different. I felt that the movie was more complete because of it. It seemed to me that it was a reason for Arnold to leave the reservation and to be nice towards Thomas. When I read the story and this event didn't happen it made me wonder why he left in the first place.
Changing that one thing really made a huge difference. There's no longer the same kind of love hate relationship between Thomas and Victor and it just feels like something is missing in the story.
Hello, I know the story was way different from the movie, Victor was drunk in the story and beat Thomas. In the story, they did left out victors father left home. In the story, the two guys seemed to have a relationship that doesn't involve hate as much as in the movie. Victor seems more understood about things than in the movie. He would always put things in a bad perspective and would insult everything. He has a low attitude in the movie, but in the Story, he seems okay. He wasn't always mad in the story, he gave this a chance more in the story. He was a little nicer to Thomas in the story as well. He didn't hate his father, He didn't have an excuse not to see his father, instead he wanted to go.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lesley
Hi Sara,
ReplyDeleteI agree that the slight revisions change everything. We interpret the death of Thomas' parents in an entirely different way in the story than we do in the film. In the film, their death becomes a clear link between Thomas and Victor's family. In the film, Thomas is a victim of Arnold's alcoholism.
Good observation about Victor's sobriety in the film. It marks a difference between he and his father. He chooses to stay sober after witnessing the damage caused by his father's alcoholism.
Thanks for your insights.
Take care,
Lauren
Hi Sara,
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you!! Without the fire I think you miss so much. In fact to me the Movie and the book feel like two different story's. But what caught my eye most about what you wrote is the attention to detail that you have in regards to the book. I have to admit that I did not catch the part about Thomas' father dying in the war and his mother dying while giving birth to him. Also that in the story it's Victor that gets drunk and not his father. Way to go!! I have to say the reason why I think I didn't really retain anything from the book is because I didn't like the story, so thank you for giving me a valuable lesson, that even when I don't like something I better still pay closer attention.
Thanks for the insight
Hi Sara-
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. I also mentioned how different the film to story was about Thomas' parents dying. Its almost like there two different story's, just similar. I also agree with you about how it maybe makes it easier for Thomas and Victor to be friends in the story cause of how the fire did not happen in the story, it really changes things. Thanks for pointing that out!!!
Emily
I believe that the most significant difference in the movie and the story is the omission of the incidence of the death of Thomas’s parents. This occurrence is not presented in the story, but this plays an important part in teaching the lesson of forgiveness in the movie. Even after knowing that Arnold was the cause of his parent’s death, Thomas forgives him for what he has done. But in the story their death was in some other ways. Also Victor getting drunk in the reading has changed the story a little. In movie Victor did not drink all his life because as a child he hated when his parents get drunk.
ReplyDelete