Reservation Blues

by

Sherman Alexie

Phil Sheridan Character Analysis

An executive at Cavalry Records, who works with George Wright and under Mr. Armstrong. Sheridan is a perfect caricature of the slimy record executive, driven by commercial concerns and willing to compromise whatever morals necessary on the way to a successful signing. Like the other two Cavalry Records executives, he is also a modern version of a famous historical U.S. Army Officer implicated in the slaughter of Native Americans. Philip Sheridan (1831-1888) was a general who pioneered scorch earth tactics during the Civil War, and then oversaw the Indian Wars on the Great Plains. He is rumored to have said that the “only good Indian is a dead Indian.” The personality of this historical general breaks through into the present in one scene, where Sheridan threatens Checkers in an intense nightmare.

Phil Sheridan Quotes in Reservation Blues

The Reservation Blues quotes below are all either spoken by Phil Sheridan or refer to Phil Sheridan. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Race, Culture, and Identity Theme Icon
).
Chapter 8 Quotes

“I remember once,” he said, “when I killed this Indian woman. I don’t even know what tribe she was. It was back in ’72. I rode up on her and ran my saber right through her heart. I thought that was it. But she jumped up and pulled me off my mount. I couldn’t believe it. I was so angry that I threw her to the ground and stomped her to death. It was then I noticed she was pregnant. We couldn’t have that. Nits make lice, you know? So I cut her belly open and pulled that fetus out. Then that baby bit me. Can you believe that.”

Related Characters: Phil Sheridan (speaker), Checkers (Gladys) Warm Water
Page Number: 237
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9 Quotes

“These women have got the Indian experience down. They really understand what it means to be Indian. They’ve been there.”
“Explain.”
“Can’t you see the possibilities? We dress them up a little. Get them into the tanning booth. Darken them up a bit. Maybe a little plastic surgery on those cheekbones. Get them a little higher, you know? Dye their hair black. Then we’d have Indians. People want to hear Indians.”

Related Characters: Phil Sheridan (speaker), Mr. Armstrong (speaker), Betty, Veronica, George Wright
Page Number: 269
Explanation and Analysis:
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Reservation Blues PDF

Phil Sheridan Quotes in Reservation Blues

The Reservation Blues quotes below are all either spoken by Phil Sheridan or refer to Phil Sheridan. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Race, Culture, and Identity Theme Icon
).
Chapter 8 Quotes

“I remember once,” he said, “when I killed this Indian woman. I don’t even know what tribe she was. It was back in ’72. I rode up on her and ran my saber right through her heart. I thought that was it. But she jumped up and pulled me off my mount. I couldn’t believe it. I was so angry that I threw her to the ground and stomped her to death. It was then I noticed she was pregnant. We couldn’t have that. Nits make lice, you know? So I cut her belly open and pulled that fetus out. Then that baby bit me. Can you believe that.”

Related Characters: Phil Sheridan (speaker), Checkers (Gladys) Warm Water
Page Number: 237
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9 Quotes

“These women have got the Indian experience down. They really understand what it means to be Indian. They’ve been there.”
“Explain.”
“Can’t you see the possibilities? We dress them up a little. Get them into the tanning booth. Darken them up a bit. Maybe a little plastic surgery on those cheekbones. Get them a little higher, you know? Dye their hair black. Then we’d have Indians. People want to hear Indians.”

Related Characters: Phil Sheridan (speaker), Mr. Armstrong (speaker), Betty, Veronica, George Wright
Page Number: 269
Explanation and Analysis: