Smoke Signals

            
             The short story "Because My Father At Woodstock," "This Is Arizona," and the film "Smoke Signals" are based on the same character and the same conflict. There are many symbolic differences compare to the film and the actual story. In the beginning of the film, Tomas Builds-the-Fire is talking directly to the audience as he describes both himself and Victor. In the beginning of the story, Victor is talking about his father and describes his father how he was during the sixties. .
             The film begins by showing a house fire where Victor's father catches an infant Thomas as Thomas is thrown from the window of the burning house. This scene, in and of itself, may not seem very significant other than showing someone being saved from a fire. Thomas's parents died in the house on the 4th of July when the house burn down, but in the story his father died in the war and his mother died while she was giving birth to him. As you can see already there is a difference in the beginning of the film and the actual story. .
             The story gives more details about victor's parents, gives details about how their relationship is with each other. Victor's parents always argue about something, they never got along that well. After too many fighting, Victor's father went out and bought a motorcycle. Arnold runs away on his motorcycle after the big argument that he has with his wife as it describes in the story. Arnold moves to Phoenix, Arizona after he ran away from his family. Just after Victor lost his job at the BIA, he found out that his father died of a heart attach in Phoenix, Arizona. Victor didn't have any money to go to Phoenix, some how he gets 100 dollars from his private council. Thomas and Victor go to Phoenix by plane. This whole scenario is so different in the film.
             The film doesn't give details about the relationship of Victor's parents. The film does show some arguments between the father and the mother.