Instead of having made things right, he finds that he has differentiated himself from the neighborhood. “I felt pale and lost, like an American explorer in the desert” (618). Here, his solitude is compared to that of an explorer, and this time he is an American. This serves multiple purposes: not only does he embellish his feelings, but he also uses it as a comparison to American culture as a whole: lost. Lost, that is, from the idea of ​​equality and unity. The culture is lost, and he feels lost too, a feeling brought on due to racial prejudice against him with no real rationalization. It is not selfish or judgmental; he is simply pointing out the overlooked idea that racial issues exist on both sides of the equation. Yes, African Americans have received the brunt of this, but that's not the whole story. Black men are shamed by white men for being black, and white men are shamed by black men for being white. American culture is lost, just like that explorer in the wilderness. Furthermore, by referencing both cultures, Alexie accomplishes two other things: first, he further expresses the concept of equality, and second, he demonstrates that he does not consider one race better than another. It allows him to communicate his opinions and thoughts on the topic and this, in turn, builds credibility and trust with the