In the movie "Smoke Signals" and the story "This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona" there are a lot of different personal relationships with the character of Victor. In this paper I will discuss how his relationship changes with his father, Thomas and people that he meets along the way to acquire his fathers remains.
In the story Victor does not have much of a relationship with his father. After his father leaves him and his mother he did not visit his father and only talked to him once or twice on the phone (254). In the movie it is basically the same thing after he leaves but prior to this we see his father being abusive by physically hitting Victor for spilling his beer. To me it is like a love/hate relationship where sometimes Victor is getting along with his dad and likes his company, but other times he hates him because of his drinking and abusive behavior towards him and his mother. In the story, during Victor’s trip to see his father, Thomas tells him stories about his father. Particularly the story of Thomas going to Spokane and Victor’s father finds him there and tells Thomas that he has to look after Victor as a deal for helping him (260). This story changes the way Victor thinks about his father and makes him have a more favorable view. In the movie a friend of Victor’s father recalls stories and things that his father used to say about Victor. Some of which wasn’t true like Victor winning a basketball game. The friend also told Victor that his father loved him very much. These stories change the way Victor feels about his father and this helps him let go of some of the bad feelings he had.
Victor’s relationship with Thomas in the story begins with them being friends and then ending up being acquaintances. Even after the journey to get Victor’s fathers remains, all the stories and the experiences of the trip they still end up being acquaintances. The story ends with Victor and Thomas agreeing that Victor would have to stop and listen to one of his stories, but only one (263). In the movie they are still friends in the beginning but after his dad leaves Victor and Thomas are no longer spending time together. In the movie however after all they have been through they become friends again.
In the story Thomas and Victor meet a gymnast on an airplane. At first Victor is embarrassed that Thomas is talking to her but eventually he comes around and they are all talking to each other. After they part ways Victor says “Yeah, but everybody talks to everybody on an airplane” “It’s too bad we can’t always be that way” (258). This would indicate that he would like to be friendly and to talk to more people in general. In the movie he is very rude by telling the gymnast that she wasn’t really a gymnast by not actually being in the Olympics. His attitude toward people was very bad but after getting his fathers remains he is better behaved by not being as rude and uncaring as before.
In conclusion Victor’s personality changes both in the story and the movie after he receives his fathers remains. He has a better appreciation of his father and becomes a better person.