Invincible Positivism as Motto: A Study of Sherman Alexie’s Resilient Women Icons from Select Works

Abstract

Author Sherman Alexie’s fictional Spokane community is the exact replica of the real Spokane Indian community of the US., whose inhabitants are victims of intergenerational trauma due to their genocidal past. Sherman Alexie, the cultural insider honestly captures his dysfunctional community in all his works irrespective of genre. His subaltern protagonists are mostly victims due to the lack of resilience such as determination, perseverance and positivism at adverse situations. The author who is also aware of his responsibility towards his community creates certain resilient characters who amidst failure and dysfunction emerge out to be successful role models for their community. The prime objective of this paper is to study the two main women iconic characters of Alexie, namely Marie Polatkin, of the novel, Indian Killer and Corliss of the short story “The Search Engine” who are prepared to meet the challenges of the subaltern’s life, in the pursuit of success with their invincible positivism.