Student Question
What does "This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona" suggest about friendship?
Quick answer:
The story emphasizes the significance of friendship in personal healing and self-discovery. Victor's reconnection with his childhood friend, Thomas Builds-the-Fire, helps him process his father's death and confront his own past mistakes. By learning to appreciate Thomas's stories and overcoming his feelings of superiority, Victor improves his self-esteem and understands that relying on others is a natural aspect of adulthood, not a weakness.
The importance of friendship is a core component of this short story. Victor finds a way to come to terms with the broken relationship he had with his recently deceased father. Reuniting with his childhood friend Thomas Builds-the-Fire is an important element in this healing process. Victor comes to realize that his memories of his childhood and adolescence were imperfectly formed. His own guilt over breaking their friendship had shaped his subsequent attitude toward Thomas. Victor must learn to listen to the meaning behind Thomas’s stories, rather than dismissing the confusing exterior aspect. Once he admits that he is in no position to adopt a superior attitude, his self-esteem begins to improve. It is important for Victor to acknowledge that being dependent on another person is a normal part of adult life, not an admission of weakness.
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