Respond to these questions. cite evidence from the text to support your positions. 

what is the story saying about friendship?

1. how is the story’s theme revealed through the actions of the characters and the changes the characters undergo?

2. how is the theme revealed through the words, images, and symbols that the author uses?

3. what other works have you read or seen that address similar themes or that employ language, images, and symbols in similar ways?

story

“well, you might consider driving down to phoenix.”

“i don’t have a car. besides, i was going to drive my father’s pickup back up here.”

“now, victor,” the council said. “we’re sure there is somebody who could drive you to phoenix. or is there somebody who could lend you the rest of the money? ”

“you know there ain’t nobody around with that kind of money.”

“well, we’re sorry, victor, but that’s the best we can do.”

victor accepted the tribal council’s offer. what else could he do? so he signed the proper papers, picked up his check, and walked over to the trading post to cash it.

while victor stood in line, he watched thomas builds-the-fire standing near the magazine rack, talking to himself. like he always did. thomas was a storyteller that nobody wanted to listen to. that’s like being a dentist in a town where everybody has false teeth.

victor and thomas builds-the-fire were the same age, had grown up and played in the dirt together. ever since victor could remember, it was thomas who always had something to say.

once, when they were seven years old, when victor’s father still lived with the family, thomas closed his eyes and told victor this story: “your father’s heart is weak. he is afraid of his own family. he is afraid of you. late at night he sits in the dark. watches the television until there’s nothing but that white noise. sometimes he feels like he wants to buy a motorcycle and ride away. he wants to run and hide. he doesn’t want to be found.”

thomas builds-the-fire had known that victor’s father was going to leave, knew it before anyone. now victor stood in the trading post with a one-hundred-dollar check in his hand, wondering if thomas knew that victor’s father was dead, if he knew what was going to happen next.

just then thomas looked at victor, smiled, and walked over to him.

“victor, i’m sorry about your father,” thomas said.

“how did you know about it? ” victor asked.

“i heard it on the wind. i heard it from the birds. i felt it in the sunlight. also, your mother was just in here crying.”