There There

There There

by

Tommy Orange

There There: Part IV: Tony Loneman (3) Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
Tony Loneman takes a train to the coliseum. He is dressed in his regalia, and tries to ignore the stares he gets from the other passengers. He is used to stares because of the Drome, but now people are staring at him for a different reason. When a white woman asks Tony for directions to the airport, he knows she just “wants to see if the Indian speaks.” He tells her that she should come to the powwow at the coliseum, then tunes out her reply and watches the tracks fly by underneath the train. 
Tony knows that by taking the train in his regalia, he’s inviting stares. This choice is a conscious one, though, rather than the involuntary ways in which he feels on display every day due to the “Drome.”
Themes
Cultural Identity vs. Personal Identity Theme Icon
Generational Trauma Theme Icon
Quotes