Victor’s anger towards Thomas because of his constant storytelling is an example of their American Identity. Thomas associates himself as a Native American and accepts the storytelling aspect of their tradition. Victor on the other hand, does not seem to outwardly embrace his being Native American as a young man. On the bus, Victor tells Thomas all of the things to be aware of because they are off of the reservation. He tells Thomas to be wary of the white man. Thomas listens to Victor intently, and even changes his appearance. However, we do see Victor tell Thomas to be more mean like a warrior.
Their relationship is interesting because Thomas is obviously very thankful to Victor’s father. However, Victor internally blames Thomas for his father leaving and his subsequent death. Throughout the movie we see Victor transform from a harsh Indian into a caring and friendly one.