Memory

Memory seems like such a big part of a lot of Alexie's stories in several different ways.  It seems that the longer it has been since something has happened, the more fondly it is remembered. This idea is mentioned in "Because my Father Always said he was the only Indian who saw Jimi Hendrix play 'The Star-Spangled Banner' at Woodstock" when Victor's parents discuss how much they love each other after splitting up. Victor mentions that "[his] father's memories of [his] mother grew more beautiful as their relationship became more hostile". This also appears to apply to stories. In "The Only Traffic Signal on the Reservation doesn't Flash Red Anymore", Victor says that reservation heroes' "status grows over the years as the stories are told and retold". I think it may be a problem that memories and stories improve over time because this could potentially be part of the reason why tradition is so strong and so many of the Indians on the reservation succumb to drink. Even though they remember how badly it has affected others, maybe they take it up as well because it doesn't seem as bad as more time goes by.