Sherman Alexie's book, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven: "Every Little Hurricane," "What It Means To Say Phoenix, Arizona," and "The Trial of Thomas Builds-the-Fire." The focus is on the writing style of these stories, specifically, on the literal and metaphorical imagery, the interweaving of the human and the natural, and the shifting back and forth from reality to fantasy.

Through his use of Alexie manages to create a hypnotic story-telling mode that draws readers into the world of the Spokane Indian Reservation in which the stories are set. He uses descriptions with meticulous attention to word choice: no word is wasted. The literal is also metaphorical. The world of human interaction is contrasted against the natural world in which it is set. Finally, the borders between reality and fantasy become increasing blurred. This is particularly true by the time we get to the third story discussed here,...
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