In-depth study and comparison: "Flight Pattern" and "Breaking and Entering" by Sherman Alexie Sherman Alexie is well known for his interpretations of Native Americans in modern American society. His books and stories are very often enclosed in thoughts of situations that are occurring or have already occurred. Two of his shorter stories highlight two very different situations but in a certain sense they connect to each other. “Flight Plan” and “Breaking and Entering,” while dealing with Native American characters, reveal to the reader important information about American life in general. “Flight Plan” is a story about the meeting between a Native American businessman and an Ethiopian taxi driver. This story takes place in a taxi and reveals personal information to allow the reader a generalization of how people of color are too judgmental, not just one particular group. “Breaking and Entering” is a short story that recounts the memory of the events an Indian American publisher faces before, during, and after a break-in while he was at home and the death he inflicted on a young black male. Sherman Alexie uses his collection of stories to describe how Americans as a whole make judgments based on the race/ethnicity to which the judged is presumed to belong, and that such judgments are based on unreliable stereotypes. Sherman Alexie reveals to the reader in “Flight Patter” and “Breaking and Entering” that American society tends to judge the individual based on the inclusion groups to which he or she is presumed to belong. “Flight Pattern” is a story about people who have darker skin. The main character is an American Indian named William from the Spokane tribe. The main plot of this story comes from the conv...... in the middle of the paper ...... which explains to the reader what happened to the main character, George Wilson, after his acting made the news. All anyone could see was: A) he was using his constitutional right to defend his home and B) he was a doughy white man who took pleasure in killing black people. The creativity that Sherman Alexie used to show how Americans are quick to assume he was white just because his skin was a couple shades lighter than expected is astonishing. George was so consumed by the death of the boy he killed, that at first he didn't notice what people said. The news called him white. The irony of this story is that George was not white; in fact he is a registered member of a Native American tribe. This story shows a great example of how society in the United States is quick to judge and base assumptions solely on appearance; which is what Sherman Alexie was trying to pinpoint.