Smoke Signals, a film directed by Native American director Chris Eyre, features a complex storyline and set of characters. The plot focuses on three major characters, Victor Joseph, Arnold Joseph, and Thomas Builds-the-Fire. When both Thomas and Victor were babies, drunken Arnold set a house on fire, which Thomas’ parents and Thomas happened to be in. Thomas’ parents throw him out of the window in an attempt to save him and Arnold catches him. As the film progresses, it includes many flashbacks and stories of past events including the fire, and also events along the main storyline which takes place in 1998. One flashback that the audience sees is that Arnold was an abusive father and husband, because he had an alcohol addiction, which eventually…show more content… Setting the scene, Arlene, Victor’s mother, talked to Victor about the effect of Arnold leaving, then Thomas walked up the driveway shouting “Hey Victor,” and Victor came outside. Thomas, filled with curiosity, said “Hey, Victor, heard your dad left. What happened? Why’d he leave? Does he hate you?” One may hear this and interpret it as solely a curious child who does not understand social cues. However, after examining the character more closely, one can see that Thomas would not have asked such questions without reason. Even without knowing what happened, Thomas knew that there was a negative energy present in Victor, and made an attempt to remove it as a Shaman, through the method of reflection. Thomas, as revealed later in the film, knew Arnold as a kind character who loved his son, therefore knew that Arnold did not leave because he hated Victor. Asking Victor whether or not his father hated him was not meant in a cruel manner, but to prompt Victor to realize that his father still loved him. Thomas’ intention as a Shaman was that Victor would reflect on the event, which would provoke him realize that his father did not leave because he hated him, and that would combat the despair as well as guilt that Victor was feeling. Also, while on the bus ride to Phoenix, Thomas asks Victor “what do you remember
