Methods and Design

You Don't Have to Say You Love Me is a memoir published by Sherman Alexie on June 13th of 2017. It details life on the Spokane Indian Reservation as a young boy, and coping with the nuances of Indian identity. The memoir focuses specifically on Sherman's mother, Lillian, and how her death has enabled him to reflect on Indian life - the ways in which he identifies with and resonates with Indian-ness, and the ways he desires to remove himself from that identification. 

There are over 160 chapters in the memoir, but each "chapter" is roughly two to three pages. Some chapters are prose, telling about childhood, some are free verse poems, some are eulogies for his mother's funeral, and some are merely a line or two. 

It's important to note that Alexie's uses of language which are reflective his identity are intentional, scripted, purposeful inclusions, rather than natural dialogue with family or peers. If naming is used, he uses it because he understands the Native American implications of such.

Chapters of Focus

The following are the "chapters" that this project will observe closely. Each represents or illuminates ways in which Native American culture and idenitity is understood. 

• "Rebel Without a Cause"
• "Feast"
• "End of Life"
• "Scatalogical"
• "Clotheshorse"
• "Eulogy"
• "The Loss Extends in All Directions"
• "Cultural Identity"
• "Clarification" 
• "Words"

Features of Focus

• Naming - Naming is a commonly mocked Native American tradition. Alexie uses naming to tell us who he is and who others perceive him as. He, too, names (re-names) others in his life to give us a clearer understanding of who they are. 
• Razzing - Razzing is a type of verbal sparring, often humorous, used amongst friends and family, or those with close relationships. It is used to mark individuals as ingroupers, establish solidarity, and is a skill Alexie takes pride in.
• Tribal Language + Language Death - The history of Spokane language is mentioned frequently. Three speakers of Spokane remained at the time of this memoir being written in 2017. The death of the tribal language is closely tied with how Spokane Indians understand their culture and heritage.
• Salmon - Salmon are an integral element of Spokane culture, although wild salmon in their historic lands have been killed by the construction of the Grand Coulee Dam in 1933. Alexie makes frequent use of salmon as a metaphor for his mother and Spokane language - all of which have perished. Salmon is also used literally, when describing traditions involving salmon.