Thomas Frank
Thomas is half white and half native. As time went by, Thomas started to see the world in a different light. His parents had gotten a divorce and his sister had an addiction to drugs. Later he would go on to working as a janitor at the Indian Center. He also joined a drumming group where he met a man named Bobby Big Medicine. Bobby would go on to support Thomas and teach him how to sing.
Rhythm
Before he was born, Thomas would move to the beat of any sound he heard, whether it was his mother's heartbeat, the music from his parent's car, or his father's drums. Growing up, Thomas would tap on surfaces and make beats from random objects. Thomas resonates with music and sound and drumming gives him a sense of pride and purpose.
Conflicts
In Thomas' first chapter, readers will find that he's felt conflicted with himself regarding his identity, how he is made up of oppressors and of the oppressed. Thomas would drink alcohol to mentally and physiclly alleviate himself from issues like his skin problems and his loneliness. Thomas would at times drink alcolhol to reach a state of mind that he called The State.
Motif and Theme
The most recurring motif that comes up in Thomas' story is music. Thomas feels a connection to his community whenever he drums and it helps him better understand who he is. One of the biggest themes that is present is generational trauma. Several points that connected to generational trauma were brought up, such as how Thomas' father would frequently bring up the massacre of the Cheyenne people on November 29, 1864 and in the quote, "How you ended up getting fired was related to your drinking, which was related to your skin problems, which was related to your father, which was related to history" (Orange 217).
