Coulombe Essay Summary

In his essay, Coulombe examines the purpose and use of humor in Sherman Alexie's work as well as the criticism it receives. In doing so, Coulombe confronts the assertions of Alexie's critics who claim his bold use of humor perpetuates the notion of Indians as pitiable drunks and prevents white readers from seeing beyond these predisposed cultural typecasts. He argues that Alexie's multifaceted brand of humor, found in most of his works but most notably in The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, is actually a critical element of the social and moral landscape of Alexie's writing, which uses humor as a means of both unification and revelation. To support this argument, Coulombe discusses examples of Alexie's effective use of humor in several of his short stories. By using humor as a tool to repair, protect, expose, and create, Coulombe asserts that Alexie unflinchingly bridges the gap between disconnection and unity. Alexie uses this carefully-crafted humorous platform to dispel generalized assumptions and encourage readers to embrace a shared sense of humanity. By periodically referring back to the complaints of Alexie's critics, Coulombe challenges their collective assumption that Alexie presents Indians as purposeless stereotypes that use sardonic humor to further pigeonhole themselves. He contends that by employing humor, however disconcerting or impractical it may seem, Alexie persuades both white and Indian readers to re-evaluate their preconceived social and moral notions in order to reach a new level of clarity, connection, and empathy.