1

The Role of the Literary Critic in “Evolution”

Kayla M. Barnes

Northern Vermont University

Introduction to World Literature

Dr. Denise Frusciante

November 17, 2022

 2

Everybody knows about the tension between the whites and indigenous people. It is still

something we face today. Although it is not as profound as in the past, socioeconomic status and

ethnicity play a huge part in the decisions we make and in our overall psychological well being.

In Sherman Alexie’s poem “Evolution” Alexie uses ethnicity and social status to demonstrate

how different people in society are treated through the treatment of the Indians and how Buffalo

Bill makes profit from the Indians demise.

Alexie shows how ethnicity and socioeconomic status are factors of how people are

treated in society. Due to the fact that the Indians are not of the same ethnicity, Buffalo Bill uses

this to his advantage to seize meaningful artifacts to put in THE MUSEUM OF NATIVE

AMERICAN CULTURES. “Buffalo Bill takes everything the Indians have to offer, keeps it all

catalogues and filed in a storage room (Alexie, 1992).” This wouldn’t be so bad if Buffalo Bill

didn’t take absolutely all they have to offer just to make them pay for admission. He knows that

he holds the power over the Indians and that they will pay to see all that they have lost. “Some

studies have explored similar [socioeconomic status] SES effects across cultures. However,

reflecting the variation in the dominant ideas and practices shared among people within

sociocultural contexts, some studies have suggested that socioeconomic contexts elicit different

psychological processes across national cultures (Ishii & Eisen, 2020).” Knowing that Buffalo

Bill is of a higher socioeconomic status the Indians feel the need to give him what he wants.

They are well aware that they are the minority and that they have to do as the whites say.

Because of this, the Indians are willing to do whatever they can to please the English, and it

quickly leads to their demise.

Buffalo Bill gains from the Indians demise when he opens the museum and everyone,

including the Indians, are charged to enter. Buffalo Bill gets money and recognition from the
 3

artifacts such as a hand made traditional outfit that took 12 years to make. The Native

Americans land is taken and they are sent to live on a reservation which indicates a lower social

status as they are easily overcome using more modern technology. “Buffalo Bill opens a pawn

shop on the reservation right across the border from the liquor store and he stays open 24 hours a

day,7 days a week (Alexie, 1992).” Buffalo Bill strategically chooses this location as he knows

the liquor store will bring in lots of customers and being on the reservation will increase his

chances of getting the Indians precious artifacts. The Indians are quick to come running to sell

their items as Buffalo Bill is of a higher socioeconomic status, having an education and wealth.

He uses their ethnicity as a way to benefit himself and increase profit by opening the museum

and charging $5 a head to enter. “Large and small minorities living in one country have often

felt a greater affinity for their fellow countrymen across the border mostly because of perceived

political or cultural inequalities or outright discrimination they experience at home. Such

reactions have invariably sprung from or led to repressive government policies, thereby

periodically creating serious tensions between the states or communities concerned (Pamir,

n.d.).” The Inidans were the minority, and were discriminated against by being forced to live on

a reservation and being exploited by Buffalo Bill and his pawn shop.

Overall, Buffalo Bill uses his pawn shop as a way to exploit the Native Americans and

make profit. He uses their ethnicity and socioeconomic status against them in order to gain all he

can to benefit himself, but doesn’t really care about what they lose–their culture. They lost all

things that represent their culture and their history, and also lost a piece of themselves.

References

Alexie, S. (1992). Evolution. http://wetipthebalance.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Evolution-

A-poem-by-Sherman-Alexie.pdf
 4

Ishii, K., & Eisen, C. (2020, July 30). Socioeconomic Status and Cultural Difference. Oxford

Research Encyclopedias Psychology.

https://oxfordre.com/psychology/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190236557.001.0001/

acrefore-9780190236557-e-584

Pamir, P. (n.d.). Nationalism, Ethnicity, and Democracy: Contemporary Manifestations.

https://www3.gmu.edu/programs/icar/ijps/vol2_2/pamir.htm