We are influenced by our surroundings whether we realize it or not. We are influenced in all different ways and through different mediums, now more than ever. Humans love to be social. We interact with others, read others stories, make comments, and share our own. We want a sense a purpose, we want others to agree, we want to feel accepted and feel apart of society. Through this, however, we have developed and evolved stereotypes. Stereotypes represent artificial qualities and are used to justify actions of discrimination.

In Jimi Hendrix, Alexie brings up many of the stereotypes associated with Native Americans through the eyes of Victor. Victor grew up idolizing his father. He saw his father’s drunken state as “ceremonious” and used humor to explain his father’s war against society. Alexie’s development of Victor helps explain how stereotypes can overshadow one’s true character and cause discrimination against others.

“Indians fight their way to the end, holding onto the last good thing, because our whole lives have to do with survival”.

In the movies, Native Americans are also portrayed as many things, none of which, however, are positive. In Stagecoach, the Native Americans are depicted as evil, barbaric savages. They are evil just waiting to cause hostility for travelers and chase them for no reason. They are barbaric with their use of uncivilized weapons, arrows and spears. They are savages, unwilling and uncaring for their own fallen comrades. Media has continued to promote these stereotypes, reinforcing the exclusion of minorities.

The use of stereotypes is to simplify the truth for our own reasoning. We have neglected looking for ourselves and have learned to blindly trust others. As we continue to perpetuate these fictional ideas in society, we continue to distort the very boundary between truth and fiction.