Indian Uprising

This short story, "Indian Uprising" by Donald Barthelme, appeared first in the New Yorker in the late 1960s and is now contained in his book Sixty Stories.  Of the stories I read in the book, my favorite was "Views of My Father Weeping," but I know that wasn't the RA's choice for this book, it was "Indian Uprising."  The short story is centered on the alleged battle between a leader with his troops and the Comanches (referred to as “red men in waves”).  Barthelme provides “picture-painted” scenes - “the arrows came in clouds” and “clattered on soft yellow pavement” and “hedges laced with sparkling wire,” you get the picture, right?  The scenes jump from the battle between the two groups and the discussion between the main character’s girlfriend (Sylvia) and in the classroom with his teacher years earlier.  Clearly this complicated tale was chosen by a Philosophy major or English major wannabe (or maybe he is, I can’t remember).  It was hard to tell the timeframe of the story as it begins with arrows swirling while the leader’s group followed with helicopters and rockets where people were being killed, is it 1900s or 1960s?  The mixed use of time, past thoughts/interactions, and the present time made for confusing and complicated understanding of what was happening, though clearly it had to do with the leader’s capture and torment.  The leader was in fact captured and turned over to a “tribunal” of sorts with the Comanches in full force.  This is not a linear tale and the use of story flow would make even an educated person take a double take or two.  In doing a bit of internet research on Barthleme, I learned he falls into the postmodern field of writing.  Maybe it is just me but I think I’m probably not the best suited for this style of work or maybe I am intimated by the lack of initial sense the two or three stories have to do with itself, similar to what Barthelme is saying about war in general, eh?  Maybe he makes more sense than I think.  Not for those who aren’t ready for some serious deep reflection!