The final scene in Smoke Signals makes a powerful comment about the tying of personal culture in with American identities as a whole. Throughout the film, Victor and Thomas struggle with their Indian identities. As they progress through the journey, neither one wants to lose sight of their Indian identities but they also begin to come forth with their American Identities. The final scene is symbolic of the merging of the two. The final scene features Victor on top of a bridge, scattering his father’s ashes. As he does so, sweeping shots of the water and mountain are displayed. In the background, Thomas recites a poem about fathers. As he does, tribal music begins to pick up as Victor lets out a scream. The movie ends on this. The poem is symbolic of the father-son theme in the movie (the first line in it is “how do we forgive our fathers?” referring to Victor and Thomas’s conflicting feelings about Arnold) but also, of an American theme as a whole. The poem reflects something that is possible nationally for everyone to contribute to and likely, have their own experience with. Father-son issues are not limited to the Indian culture; most people in America have individual problems with this relationship. He talks about families issues and either emotional warmth or coldness. The idea of problems within the family takes the scene with just Victor and opens it up to the nation as a whole, cementing Victor and Thomas’s American identities. Simultaneously, the tribal music begins to play. This represents the merging of their American and Indian identities. While he is talking about a national issue, a piece of culture confined to Native American’s begins to play. Victor and Thomas do not necessarily believe that they can maintain both identities, but the final scene seems to indicate their acceptance that they can. Smoke Signals and Giovanni’s Room feature two of the similar themes. The first is the struggle that occurs when attempting to juggle two cultures. David struggles to choose a culture- his American culture tells him not to enter in his relationship with Giovanni, but his French culture dictates that it is more acceptable. Unlike Thomas and Victor, David is unable to make peace with the merging of two cultures. The second theme featured in both is the struggle between father and sons. Much of David’s fears come from his father, and his expectation that David find a nice girl and come home. Both Victor and David feel stifled by their father’s presence and feel it creating a driving force in their life. Victor drives him to resent his Indian identity due to what he feels is the false heroism of his father; David’s drives him to ruin his relationship with Giovanni. Both of these themes represent American Identities as a whole. Trouble within the family is a nation wide theme in books and films that has always existed. In addition, searching for the self within one’s culture and nation continues to be on going theme.