The only traffic signal on the reservation
“Go ahead,” Adrian said. “Pull the trigger.” I helda pistol to my temple. I was sober but wished I was drunk enough to pull the trigger. “Go for it,” Adrian said. “You Chickenshit,”. Even though it was a BB gun what’s going on in their minds. This is how the passage begins with Adrian and Victor sitting around bullshiting and drinking diet pops. Then they see a young Indian boy by the name of Julius Windmaker. “He looks good,” Adrian said. “Yeah, he must not be drinking.” “Yet” “Yeah,yet” Victor talks about how Julius is the best basketball player on the reservation and how he was going to be the one to make but when Julius fails no one is surprised, because like the other who came before Julius that had talent didnt make it. Toward the end of the passage Adrian says “Shit, that damn traffic signal is still broken.” Victor responds by says whats the point of fixing it in a place where the stop signs are suggestions? and the only thing i can relate the title and the passage together is, why fix the stop light when nobody stops at stop signs, so when someone with talent doesnt make it off the reservation dont be surprised it’s expected.
I agree with your post and how they expected Julius to fail even though at that point he was doing great. They knew he’d end up like everyone else and he did. I also like how you interpreted the title of the story.
↓ Quote | Posted December 11, 2006, 8:49 am