Solsen  Analyzing Literary Pieces “Class”

            The short story, “Class” from Sherman Alexie’s “The Toughest Indian In The World” illustrates his feelings towards diversity in ethnic class and social class. There appears to be a theme of substance behind one’s desires and attempting to become satisfied when you reach what you thought were goals, instead finding dissatisfaction and a sense of not belonging. The comparison of being biracial is difficult in finding oneself in not only identifying with a culture, but in the basic ways in which one looks and behaves in accordance with societies ideals and with your desire of appearing accepting.

            The details from the physical appearance of Alexie’s characters in this story to the ways the audience can identify with the simple yet powerful descriptions of the various social classes demonstrates the struggles the main character, Edgar Eagle Runner, has. The story begins with the smallest of details full of actions, emotions and language used among the various characters became evident of the comparison of the multiple social classes. The comparison first starts with his view on his appearance and what his equal would be, that is why he always approached the tenth most beautiful woman at any gathering, because as he stated, “I’d always made sure to play ball only with my equal.” Then the comparison was with heat and cold with love and affection. The wedding symbolized the happiest times and it leading straight into an affair in just one year. Ending in the story with a comparison of what he thought he was looking for and what he actually had the entire time.

            Edgar is a modern middle-class American Indian who definitely struggles with his heritage, not only his ethnicity. There are parts of the story for which he seems proud of his physical difference from the mainstream of his professional legal office in a predominately white suburb in Washington State. Then he expresses he may seem to have everything one would want, a nice home, a nice job, nice car, lots of events and outings; however, this could not be further from the truth. Was his sorrow in the fact he had an absentee father who was an alcoholic, a mother who was proud he had married a blonde haired blue eyed white woman in hopes that continual breeding would eventually erase all of the appearance of the brown skinned Indian? Could he be looking for something else with the search for an Indian prostitute or attempting to have sex with an Indian bartender a way to find him ethnically, or was he looking for a place to belong since the marriage for which he believed was ideal for him a sham once discovering the infidelity of his wife?

            This story expressed the multiple differences in being biracial and bicultural. The diversity was never the weakness, as the main character discovered, it was the strength. Though one may think the grass is greener on the other side of the pasture, having the choice is the ultimate prize, and once he realized this, he was able to be content and rejoin his wife and continue with his life.