The Only Traffic Signal Assignment

It's an odd, sad feeling to try and compare Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and the reservation in Sherman Alexie's "The Only Traffic Signal on the Reservation Doesn't Flash Red Anymore". It's odd because this story is about failure, not just once, but a cycle of never living up to potential and crashing back down to Earth. It's sad because Alexie's reservation is played out in the story as though it has no hope, and just as the traffic signal quit working and the cup continued to revolve, the tradition of failing to achieve will continue as well. This comparison makes you think of the failed lives on reservations, the despair, poverty, and alcoholism among the lives of Native American people.After reading about a reservation who's heroes are alcoholics, you only found myself hoping that Pine Ridge had a little more hope to live off of.

"She is born into a community were she is more likely to give birth before she graduates high school. She has a high chance of having her first sexual experience, be a violent one.

- Her father knows that on the reservation, life isn't great and things won't be the best for his daughter, but he still has hope for a better future. Just Like at the end of the story, Victor and Adrian know Lucy is likely to fail at basketball, but they still hope that she might be the one who breaks the cycle.

"The culture there I think, must be one of brotherhood. If you think about it, though they drink, they watch out for each other. They share their big cans and their blankets, their fights and their love."

- Just like in the story, alcoholism is a strong part of the culture in Pine Ridge, but they deal with it. They live like "zombies" in their culture, but they all have a strong bond with one another. Even when Victor and Adrian come across Julius, they don't kick him out. They put a blanket over him and let him be."

"No one outside of ourselves and our dedicated fans believed we could beat Custer; now, absolutely no one will believe we can beat our next opponent."

- I didn't choose this in anyway because of the basketball theme but because of the quote. Just like with Julius and Lucy, both are good basketball players but no expects anything from them. In this case though, while no one expects this their team to win, they keep hope they can win another upset and beat the odds.