Viewing the Stereotype

In Alexie’s The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, I love the use of stereotypes. Usually the idea of a stereotype isn’t a flattering one, and most people trying to be politically correct avoid using them at all costs. But the narrator in Alexie’s story seems to revel in them, using them to highlight specific aspects of his character. Like that he’s Native American. The story briefly brings up two of the typical stereotypes associated with being Native American - the narrator’s brother’s excessive drinking and his family living on a reservation. The narrator brings up the stereotypical mistrust of non-whites by describing both the convenience store clerk and the police officer’s distrust of him. Even in just describing the convenience store setting, Alexie stereotypes the cashier’s appearance and attitudes.
People don’t like to admit it but stereotypes have a big part in our society. But the sheer number to be found in Alexie’s short story is really surprising. I have read a considerable number of short stories and it’s true that stereotypes are more common in short stories than in longer novels simply because a novel has the time to develop character. However Alexie’s excessive use of the stereotype brings the reader’s attention to the notion, instead of it being something the reader glosses over without question.