Every Little Hurricane
The author makes use of symbolism and character traits to show the plight of Indians living in reservations. Hurricanes are used to symbolize the negative things happening in the reservations like violence and alcoholism. Character traits, on the other hand, display the nature of individuals living in those reservations.
Victor’s mother has continuously shown compassion. Victor’s mother is seen supporting her husband, Victor’s father, at his lowest moments. When her husband wept because he could not afford Christmas gift, Victor’s mother came in handy and gave some hope to her already hopeless husband. She pities her husband and consoles her that they got each other although she knew that that was just but a mere consolation. She shares in her husband’s emotional suffering and tries her best to make him feel better. Another instance where Victor’s mother showed compassion is when her husband’s wallet was empty. She pitied her. Victor’s mother knew how to calm the storms in her family, “During all these kinds of tiny storms, Victor’s mother would rise with her medicine and magic.” Victor also shares in his father’s suffering. Victor is moved by his father’s low moments; for instance, he watches his father stare at his empty wallet repeatedly. Although Victor was young, he could observe the agony of his father and wished he could do something and lucky enough, his mother intervened in such instances.
Insecurity is vivid in the short story “Every Little Hurricane.” Indians living in the reservations lead a very insecure life. The vulnerability in the region had gone to the extent that killing had become a regular occurrence. The Indians turn against each other. Arnold and Adolph are brothers, and yet they seriously fought and injured one another. The brothers always fought each other, and this is evidenced by how Victor’s mother answered Victor’s father that Arnold and Adolph were fighting again. The people at the party did not intervene because they were used to such instances. Sherman states that “one Indian killing another did not create a special kind of storm.” Victor is also insecure about hurricanes. He is afraid that another hurricane may occur and he has memories of hurricanes that he would rather forget or change. Victor is also seen as a person full of fear when he tightens his bottom pajamas as he watched his uncles fight. Victor seems disturbed by what he sees.
Victor also portrays fearfulness besides being insecure. He had seen footages of cities that were affected by hurricanes. Those memories play in Victor’s mind; he is frightened of such an occurrence happening around him. He wishes he can forget all the incidences; unfortunately, his memory won’t let him. Victor imagines the worst scenarios that could happen to him. When Victor’s father takes his vodka, Victor, on the other hand, takes his imagination too far. He could hear the near-poison fall, then hit, flesh and blood, nerve and vein. He is afraid of the impact of the vodka taken by his father while hungry. Victor also imagines that he would one day drown in the rains and he wouldn’t be able to save himself. He is scared of his imaginations too. The nervousness those imaginations brought to him was intense. Victor also cried when he couldn’t find his parents after the party. He kept searching for them, wondering where they could be or what could have happened to them. When he finally found them, he prayed for them. Victor feared his parents could have been wrong about God all those years.