In Sherman J. Alexie's "This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona" and Alice Walker's "Everyday Use," family and culture are important themes throughout each character's lives. Both short stories display symbolic objects important for when the characters reach their moment of epiphany, turning them into round characters. Despite the difference in each story's setting and cultural background, the overall similarity in themes of family and culture, use of symbols, and growth of each character in a time where old customs clash with new customs holds significant meaning.
             Even though the characters of the two short stories grow up in an entirely different environment, the importance of family is a theme that runs deep within the characters' hearts. Alexie writes about Victor, a boy growing up on a reservation. He has a connection with his father although he has not "seen his father in a few years, had only talked to him on the telephone once or twice, but there was still a genetic pain" when his father passes away (Alexie 170). Later on a journey to collect the ashes of his deceased father, Victor realizes he has a bond with his fellow Indians on the reservation as well. As Thomas Builds-the-Fire concludes from a dream, Indians must "take care of each other" instead of walking down a lonely path (175). Walker's character Mama also displays her respect for her ancestors. In order to keep the connection to her family intact, Mama names her eldest daughter Dee, a name Mama could trace within her family "back beyond the Civil War" (Walker 315). By naming her daughter after some of the strongest women of her family, Mama hopes to pass down her strength and pride in her family's lineage.
             From the beginning to the end of the two stories, Mama and Victor change from ordinary folks with a simple thought process to characters with a new outlook on their cul...