Another
aspect of Sherman Alexie’s life that is tragic is how death surrounds his
family. His sister and brother in law
lost their lives in a mobile home fire (Donovan). Although not entirely the same, in “This Is What
It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona,” Victor’s father also dies in a mobile home.
Yet in the short story, when he describes the scene, Alexie writes “Things were
kind of ugly. It was really hot, too. You get the picture” (This is What 389). The audience can deduce that
Alexie in some way is also describing the scene of the accident in which his
own sister and brother in law died. Though the experiences Alexie had been
through were dramatic, he has kept his head held high and used his writing to
cope with them. In addition to losing his sister and brother in law, Alexie
also lost his grandmother at a young age. When commenting on his maternal
grandmother, Alexie offers these words; “she was one of the great spiritual
leaders of the Spokane tribe. One of the most powerful figures to visit the
Northwest and in her last days thousands came to pay their respects” (“A Reservation of the Mind”).