"Flight Pattern'' by Sherman Alexie lays emphasis on the modern life experiences of conflicting choices such as; hardships of balancing work with family, the virtue of family appreciation. Racial discrimination and terrorism. The main focus is on how different human races stereotype on each other.
William, American Indian businessman is the main character in this story. He is a healthy Spokane Indian living in Washington; Seattle. The author describes William as a man with interest in American culture and also wants to feel as though he is a true American. William leaves his house early morning for his usual business trips on a taxi cab, an Ethiopian man Fekadu is the driver. William is a victim of stereotyping, and after sharing with the driver where the driver informs him that he is a trained pilot and how at some point he was forced to choose either to bomb his family or leave his nation where Fekadu had no option but to leave his family;(Alexie 62, 63) This story gives William a new perspective in life. William, therefore, realizes the importance of appreciation. This makes him think of how much he loves his family; for him, he leaves his family by choice while Fekadu had no choice but to leave his family, nation and never to return.
Sherman, “Flight Pattern” shows the struggling nature of the native American society, and how to deal with the conflicting balance of family and work. William's action when his wife urges him to stay but he insists on leaving. This indicates discrimination and a symbol of conflict. He seems not to define the virtue of a family, appreciation. William has a self-conflict; he loves his family so much and feels like being with them but still leaves for his traveling job. Also, he appears to have a conflict with his own society which keeps him away from his family; this is as per the expectations it has set for him. On the other hand, William is a proud man who considers himself a native America, he often thinks of his heritage considering having more reasons to terrorize the American nation than any other terrorists such as the Taliban. "I am Native American and therefore have ten thousand more reasons to terrorize the U.S. than any of those Taliban jerk-offs, but I have chosen instead to become a civic American citizen, so all of you white folks should be celebrating my kindness and moral decency and awesome ability to forgive!" (Alexie 65) This is a sign of anger and resentment.
Alexie portrays William as ignorant because basically, he is looking for what everyone sees as the American haters the middle seamen. Unfortunately, most of the Americans people are guilty of this thought. William himself is a "little brown boy". It is ironical that William is a Native American who suffers from racial profiling and is also contributing to the problem. That's why Fekudi calls him "William American".
The Author tries to pinpoint some of the contemporary issues together with the lifestyles associated with the American environment, especially stereotyping. Following the September attack of the America twin towers, this view was influenced by the media report and the general public of the Americans attitude towards the "little brown boys". William too is a victim as he always views the “little brown boys’’ at the airport as terrorists this according to (Alexie 53) He is quick to make a judgment when he encounters with the taxi driver Fekadu. He assumes individuals of the lower class have no education and future prospects. He thinks the taxi driver is a "black man with violent dark history'' simply because of Fekadu's scar on his back neck. (Alexie 55) William stereotypes him as an African American who lived malicious life despite of the little information he knew about him.
Fekadu, on the other hand, is a humble man. He narrates to William his story that he studied a degree in physics from Oxford University. Fekadu says, "I was a smart child, a genius; it was Selassie, who sent me to Oxford. There I studied physics, math and the art of flight" (Alexie 59). He fled his country Ethiopia, without family's concept. He feels coward just as Africans are believed by Americans to be coward. Fekadu regrets this action as a sign of insult to his family and nation.
Sherman uses an Informative and positive tone in this story to inform on how prevalent racial discrimination still exists in the society today .Through Williams’ and Fekadu’s bondage, and their different life experiences, the author is trying to get to the attention into consideration of what diverse cultures go through in order to live the "American dream”. Alexie is therefore, trying to accomplish the idea of the existing of stereotypes in our modern societies only if we allow it.
Works Cited
Alexie, Sherman. "Flight Patterns." Ten Little Indians (2013): 102-123.
