Allan Elyshevitz is known to be one of the modern American writers, whose talent is unfolded in writing poems and short stories. He enlightens us with his works and gives us brief ideas on vital problems of modern society.
In his short story “Tribe” the author gives a simple situation of the meeting of a man and a woman who while going by the station wagon to the reservation, staying there and going back communicate. The events take place somewhere in Texas during the period of Christmas celebrating. Marianne and Doc are of different cultures and races. She is an Indian widow and he appears to be a Jewish doctor. While talking Doc discovers the tragedy of Marianne’s life. Her husband Billy was a tribal leader, and was stabbed by two rednecks of Texan origin. He wanted to earn some money by selling own made jewelry. Here is the picture of the unfair attitude of White people to Indians. Marianne describes it as “the Caucasian cancer”. She points out the relation of Indians and that they are “stick together”. They go to her brother’s “adobe” house for they are drunk. Doc sees in their family love of Marianne’s brother Jerry as well as hatred of his wife Louisa. The reason is that Billy left Marianne some money, and Louisa’s greed does not let her forgive this. Doc wants to go home to his woman in Santa Fe after sleeping at that house and the end of the story displays their talk while driving through the desert.
As for me, the main theme which the author persecutes in the story is the problem of racial peculiarities of American people and the Indians in particular. He shows the way of life of Indians through the eyes of Doc. It is very versatile and brief at once story, which idea is hidden in the title of it.
People like tribes of predators looking for somebody who seems to be like “persona infra dig”. They forget about the racial diversity, namely in the US. They tend to illuminate their rage through the segregation in thoughts, cultures, traditions and colors of skin on the whole. Allan Elyshevitz condemns the indifference of White people towards Indians and also demonstrates the closeness of Indian families pointing out the importance to save the institute of family in America. When discussing a hypothetic trip to Asia, Marianne pays reader’s attention to the issue of great significance:
“What if you really could go back to Asia,” he said, “but you had to go alone?”
Marianne thought it over. “The trip might be interesting, but once I got to China or Mongolia or wherever, what the hell would I do? Without Glenn, my brother, my nieces. Even Louisa. You should understand that.”
The other thing is that author gives a clear understanding of both simplicity and importance of living in harmony with each other. It is no mere chance, that the story happens on Christmas. One should realize that this holiday symbolizes the birth, birth of Jesus and his victory in fighting evil. What does birth the author mean? Of course, that one of men, people living in the US. There must be concrete steps on the way of understanding our significance within the many-faceted society.
To sum up, the story contains a very brief plot with a little number of events to make emphasis the problem of Indians and, to my mind, of nationalities living in America. The theme of family support inside it presents a reader with the slightest idea to prevent the nation from moral destruction. It does not really matter whether a man is Indian or Jew, his common mindset and humanity are the best signals of who he is in reality!