A Place: An Argument Of Which Community Junior Belongs To?

In Sherman Alexies novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian, the protagonist, Junior, overcomes many obstacles such as stereotypes, poverty and hopelessness.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a book about a young boy just entering high school who leaves his best friend and family to go to school mostly occupied by white people. This whole book follows him through his first year in this school where he tries to get a better education than he can get on the Rez, in the hopes that he will one day get off that reservation and out of his soul crushing poverty. “The Absolutely True diary of a Part-Time Indian” ATD, Sherman Alexie uses unfortunate events, social class and conversations to show that not everyone gets the support they need to follow their dreams.

“Rearden was the opposite of the rez”(56). This evidence shows how all schools educate students differently. Rearden had a great education which is why Mr. P wanted Junior to go to Rearden so he could be more successful with is education because he is so intelligent. Mr. P saw potential in Junior and thinks he can go far. In comparison, the reservation school was not as nice nor as good of an education. They did not have a lot of funding for the school because it is in an area of poverty for example, the books at the reservation were so old that they were same books that Junior’s mother

Not only is Junior unpopular and alienated, but the victim of taunts and bullying as well. Furthermore, he’s considered a traitor after he transfers to Reardon. At Reardon, he’s called names and endures racial jokes until he finally finds acceptance through basketball and surprisingly finds friends with similar interests. Ultimately, Junior comes to the “huge realization” that not only does he belong to the Spokane Indian tribe, but to no less than 13 additional groups (Basketball players, cartoonists, bookworms, and sons to name a few). It is the first time he knows that he will be “OK”, sending a positive message to readers that identify with his struggles. By reading about characters similar to themselves, young adults can see that their challenges are not unique and are shared by other adolescents (Bucher & Hinton, 2009)

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian features two main settings, the Pacific Northwest towns of Wellpinit and Reardan. These contrasting locations – one an impoverished Indian reservation and the other an affluent white community – become very important to the ever-shifting identity of our narrator, Arnold Spirit, Jr.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Final Essay In his comedic novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Sherman Alexie brings to life an eccecntric supporting cast made up of unconventional individualists, including Grandmother Spirit and Gordy who shape main character Junior’s experience and world view. In the story, Arnold “Junior” Spirit, a Native American boy living on a reservation makes the decision to attend the predominantly white high school in town in an attempt to build a better future for himself. Throughout the novel Junior grows as a person and learns to appreciate the beauty of a life that’s not fair. Alexie uses Gordy’s intelligence and lack of awareness as well as Grandmother Spirit’s faith and open-mindedness

The students all took a practice test and only thirty-three percent of the students have passed and the states minimum average is seventy-five percent. Throughout the school year, the students work effortlessly with Mr. Clark along with their school teachers prepare for the real test. Mr. Clark’s crazy and wild antics start to get to the students and they begin to respect him even more for it. They begin to see that he is only doing this with all of their best interests in mind. One of the students who was expelled’s mother complained about the way Mr. Clark ran things at his school and got the mayor involved. After Mr. Clark is found with the chains on the door, which is illegal and a fire safety hazard, and was arrested. All of the students came down to the Board of Education in Paterson and basically protested and ranted on how they wanted Mr. Clark to be released and return to his duties as principal. Eastside High’s assistant principal Mrs. Barrett claims that Mr. Clark was not the right choice to serve as principal of Eastside. But the students all say in rebuttal how Mr. Clark cares for them like no other and how he has done so much good for them that they will not accept anyone besides Mr. Clark. Soon after, Mr. Clark was released and good news was received. More than enough students

Alexie explains that he has visited many classrooms and received many letters from students who loved the book, explaining that these students have had difficult experiences similar to his own depression, sexual and physical abuse, absent parents, poverty, racism, and learning disabilities. He also explains that he has yet to receive a letter from a child somehow weakened by the domestic violence, drug abuse, racism, poverty, sexuality, and murder contained in his book. To the opposite, kids as young as ten have sent him autobiographical letters written in crayon and markers, completed with drawings inspired by the novel, that are just as dark and terrifying as anything he's ever read, Alexie explains. (The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian;Wiki) This novel has been being banned for almost ten years now and it seems like nobody knows about the literary merit in it. The book is described by the publisher Little, Brown as heartbreaking, funny and beautifully written about the experiences of a young Native American who leaves his troubled school on an Indian reservation in Washington state to attend an all-white high school in a nearby farming community.(Huffington Post) Bruce Barcott explains how recently nominated for a National Book Award, that The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a gem of a

In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, the main character, Junior, is an Indian. Growing up on an indian reservation after realizing how poor everyone in the reservation was. “It sucks to be poor, and it sucks to feel that you somehow deserve to be poor. You start believing

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie is a novel about Arnold Spirit (Junior), a boy from the Spokane Indian Reservation who decides to attend high school outside the reservation in order to have a better future. During that first year at Reardan High School, Arnold has to find his place at his all-white school, cope with his best friend Rowdy and most of his tribe disowning him, and endure the deaths of his grandmother, his father’s best friend, and his sister. Alexie touches upon issues of identity, otherness, alcoholism, death, and poverty in order to stay true to his characters and the cultures within the story. Through the identification of the role of the self, identity, and social behavior

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian was published in 2007 on September twelfth, by Little, Brown and Company. (“The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian;Wiki”) In the award-winning novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Sherman Alexie makes a clear story of the life of a Native American teen living on a reservation named Junior. Through Junior 's comical diary entries and drawings, Alexie uses words and

Throughout the story, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, Junior goes through many ups and downs. This story is about how Junior, an indian from the Spokane reservation, decides to go to Rearden, the school for non-indians because of how run-down his school is and has trouble fitting in. Some of the ways Junior dealt with those downs include his uncanny sense of humor, his love for his friends, and the want to fit in and prove he’s just as good as everyone else at his new school.

Authors write many books within years but not every author writes a good novel. But think living in a dysfunctional society is easy especially when the society a person lives in is separated by the segregation of Native and White Americans? Well Junior the protagonist strives to fight the conflict poverty, and go out of his way to find his true identity and achieve the life he desires. Throughout the novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, readers see Junior the main character also known as Arnold Spirit Junior suffer from poverty, racism and discrimination. Junior struggles to be the individual he desires because of the segregation between White and Native Americans. Junior realizes staying on the reservation

Another mentor in Junior's life is his Wellpinit teacher Mr. P. Mr.P demonstrates great understanding, encouragement and regret towards Junior and his people. Mr. P’s understanding was shown shortly after a mishap where Junior throws a textbook at him in frustration, after finding his mother's name written in it. Instead of getting angry at Junior he is rather understanding. He knows Junior only threw it in anger at the fact he can't learn from new curriculums, Junior is someone who wants more in his education, this is seen when he says “And let me tell you, that old, old, old decrepit geometry book hit my heart with the force of a nuclear bomb. My hopes and dreams floated up in a mushroom cloud.” Instead of getting mad, Mr. P understands Junior's want for education. Lastly, Mr.P is the one who recognized Junior's intelligence and pushes him to find hope in a new school. This was shown when he says “Son,’ Mr.P said. ‘You're going to find more and more hope the farther and farther you walk away from this sad, sad, sad reservation.” (Alexie 43) Thanks to Mr. P’s encouragement Junior makes the decision to attend Reardan, where he meets wonderful people,

“The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,” has allowed be to look at my life in a new positive light, has educated me on how one’s race and sense of belonging or fitting in has the potential of negatively impacting one’s life and made me realise how my life has been impacted by it. I became conscious of the fact that yes, I have faced struggles throughout my life which made me feel like I didn’t belong, however there are other people around the world whose struggles are much difficult when compared to mine. Therefore, this book has taught me that instead of dulling and complaining about my problems, I should appreciate the positive things in my life that have allowed me to live my life in peace. For example, the fact that unlike Junior,