Hester 1 Madison Hester Mr.

Newman English 101: Rhetoric 4 November 2013 Self-Stereotyping Black people can play basketball. Asian people are good at math. Mexican people do yard work. White people are racist. Stereotypes are frequently thought of within minority cultures. Believing that people only stereotype outside of their race is a common misconception; many people stereotype themselves or others similar to them without realizing it. In the short story Flight Patterns Sherman Alexie utilizes William to show stereotyping exists between people with the same characteristics by revealing Williams thoughts of minorities in society. Though he tries to convey his thoughts as pure, its undeniable that he cant stop himself from being stereotypical, Alexie states, William didnt want to insult anybody; he wanted the world to be a fair and decent place. At least that was what he wanted to want (53). This quote is when William has just met his taxi driver, an African man named Fekadu. Immediately he is self-consciously trying to erase any class difference between them (53) because he is afraid of stereotyping Fekadu based off his skin color. William wants to be a fair and not judge people but it is human-nature to judge someone from first glance. Because the taxi driver is black he sees him as different. Being a minority and an Indian man he still judges others by the color of their skin and their appearance. William later talks about how he wishes his family werent viewed as different because of their skin color and thats why Alexie says, That

Hester 2 was what he wanted to want (53). William couldnt control the way his mind registered others as beneath him but he also selfishly wished it was not that way with him and his family. To connect to same-race-stereotyping Alexie writes, No, not a jewel-on-the-forehead Indian, said William. Im a bows-and-arrows Indian (56). Alexie is showing how William stereotypes himself as a Bows-and-arrows Indian even though that doesnt describe him as a person but instead it describes a stereotype of his race. William doesnt spend his day shooting bows and arrows, so he is aware that it is not a depiction of his race personally. He doesnt think what he said is in anyway racist or stereotypical because he belongs to the race he describes. In reality he is still considered ignorant for having a received idea of a certain race whether it is his own or a different race. The received idea that William has of any race similar to those of the 9/11 terrorists comes from fear of never being able to see his family again. Alexie states, William always scanned the airports and airplanes for little brown guys who reeked of fundamentalism (52). Here William searches for people in the airport who look much like himself relating them to the events of 9/11. Others with the same characteristics as him are viewed as potential dangers. William also realizes other people most likely look at him as a threat; Alexie writes, William himself was a little brown guy, so other travelers were always sniffing around him (52). Although Alexie brings up the fact that William is similar to the people he judges, in the story William forgets he is in the minority race; Alexie writes, Not as dark as yours (56),meaning William thought of himself a little better because his skin was a shade lighter. While other brown guys reek of fundamentalism, he smells only of Dove soap, Mennen deodorant, and sarcasm (52).

Hester 3 Alexie shows readers that William, though he tries to hide it, is as stereotypical as any other person; he judges people based on first impressions. In the story William is ignorant to the fact that he is wrong for stereotyping people based on looks alone. Not all black people can play basketball. Some Asians are terrible at math. Some Mexicans dont know how to work a lawn mower. And most white people arent racist. Its common for people to mistake others as a certain type of person because of their race. In the story William needs to look in the mirror and realize that if he doesnt want to be stereotyped he should do it to others. Its a lesson many of us need to learn but chooses to ignore; dont judge someone based off of looks because there is more to people then their skin color and race.

Hester 4 Work Cited Alexie, Sherman. "Flight Patterns." 2003. The Norton Introduction to Literature. Ed. Alison Booth, J. Paul Hunter, and Kelly J. Mays. 9th ed. New York: W. W. Norton and Company, 2005. 49-61. Print.

Rubric for Literary Analysis Purpose (33): Successful (A+ thru B): Demonstrates a superior understanding of Flight Patterns in that you analyze and not just summarize the story Shows a complex understanding of the Critical Lens/ Lit Device/Moment concept/Area of Interest

Genre (33): Successful (A+ thru B): Contains a thesis in the last sentence of the intro that effectively captures your argument Includes well-chosen support from throughout the text that supplements the thesis Analysis is academic in nature

Design/Layout (20): Successful (A+ thru B): Uses MLA format to skillfully weave quotes and paraphrases into the text Uses a 12-point, Times New Roman font with a double-spaced page Includes a creative title, appropriately placed headers, heading, and page numbers Includes a Works Cited page that accurately lists the text(s) used

Audience (25): Successful (A+ thru B): Uses vocabulary appropriate for a college audience Assumes a level of intelligence and sophistication for the audience Grammar/spelling/punctuation should be appropriate for a college freshman

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Stance (14): Successful (A+ thru B): Offers a convincing argument Includes a consistent tone that presents your perspective appropriately