Absolutely True Diary Of A Part Time Indian Analysis

F. Scott Fitzgerald once said “First you take a DRINK then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes you.” Later Fitzgerald capitulated and died of a heart attack due to being an alcoholic the last 2 years of his life. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian written by Sherman Alexie talks about a 14 year old Indian boy changing his life. He goes to a white school, and changes into a different person throughout the story. The story talks about other real life dilemmas, like death and alcohol. There are multiple themes that are present throughout the story, but one theme that protrudes is that alcoholism kills.

‘Racisum is a man’s greatest threat to man- the maximum of hatred of a minimum of reason.”- Abraham J. Hesche In the book The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Sherman Alexie exposes how racisum impacts people physicaly, mentaly, and scocialy as was shown in the scene where a rasist joke impacts Arnold, when Penelope’s father is threatning, and when Arnold relizes he isnt going to be a full time Indian.

"Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations"- Anonymous. In the novel of Absolute True Diary of a Part time Indian by Sherman Alexie, Arnold goes on a different road than most throughout the book. There are difficult problems or situations which he goes through using the advice from significant conversations he has had earlier. Different people, such as his geometry teacher; Mr. P or his basketball coach give him different sets of advice. Even his friend, Gordy does to and these are moments in which helps Arnold progress to who he is as a character.

In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, Junior experiences a journey throughout his life by changing schools from Wellpinit to Reardan. His journey included some changes that he had to adjust too. Junior was experiencing a difficult experience and he had to overcome problems that he had. Junior got through it which was great because it was not expected especially since he was indian.

Finding Your Dreams :Hopes and Dreams in The Absolute True Diary of a Part-time Indian

Poverty hits children hardest in the world. When I was younger, the Armenians had faced the hard facts of poverty after they break up with the Soviet Union, war with Azerbaijan, and a devastating earthquake. My family moved into our motherland Armenia while our nation was going through these huge dramatic changes. Furthermore the poor economy and inflation destroyed numerous hopes and futures. In the novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie, Arnold Spirit, describes his hardships involving poverty living on Spokane reservation. The people on the reservation are stuck in a prison of poverty. They are imprisoned there due to lack of resources and general contempt from the outside world, so they are left with little chance for success. Like Arnold, I also went through hardships regarding poverty and education.

I believe that in order to enjoy life, one must always maintain a happy state for their whole life. Although, I might not suffer too much, but, other people may be suffering for their whole lives. This real-world application also applies to The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie with Junior. Junior suffers from hatred and losses, but yet somehow he manages to stay happy.

“Each funeral was a funeral for all of us”: Notions of Race, Identity and Mortality in Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a book that depicts cultural differences; the issues of alcohol; and friendships in a harsh, yet humorous way. Junior, the main character of the book, stands out in many ways, both to the reader, and in the book itself. He is courageous, yet also emotional and smart.

The novel's second major setting is Reardan, an affluent, mostly-white town 22 miles away from the reservation in Wellpinit. Reardan is home to the high school where Arnold decides to transfer. Arnold's identity in Reardan is not directly related to his tribe or his family. He is known in Reardan not as "Junior," but as

Adolescents experience a multitude of physical, cognitive, emotional, and social, and mental changes during a short span of years in their developmental journey to adulthood, and this transition period is full of many developmental changes and milestones. Some typical changes and milestones in an adolescent’s life include puberty, learning to drive, dating, developing new social relationships and social roles, cognitive changes, becoming sexually active, obtaining employment, and graduating high school. In addition to all of these changes in this tumultuous time of life, adolescents are identifying, developing, and coming to terms with their own sense of self, and learning about their identity becomes a priority. Teens and young adults must also address certain challenges that may arise in their lives such as bullying, drug and alcohol use, violence, sexual abuse, eating disorders, depression or other mood/mental health issues, and issues concerning sexuality, and gender identity. Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is an engaging story that deals with many of the challenges that all adolescents face, and this novel also addresses challenges that are unique to those teens who may be grappling with issues that face minority cultures and communities as well.

When Junior transfers to Reardan a white school off the reservation you can see the conflicting aspects of identity and belonging. This part in the book is where Junior starts to describe himself as a part time Indian. “I was half Indian in one place and half white in the other place” (Alexie, p.118). Going back and forth between Reardan and Wellpinit,

“When people rely on surface appearances and false racial stereotypes, rather than in-depth knowledge of others at the level of heart, mind, spirit, their ability to assess and understand people accurately is compromised” (Forbes). In the book, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian a Indian boy named Arnold lives on a reservation and decides to leave the reservation and go to a white high school. In the movie, The Searchers the Indians attack a white family's house and abduct a little white girl, the girl's uncle, Ethan goes after the Indians years later after coming back from the war to bring her back home. There are many similarities between the book, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and the movie, The Searchers,

Arnold/Junior Spirit is a fourteen year old Spokane Indian who lives on a small reservation in Washington state. In the book The Absolutely True Diary of a part-Time Indian, Junior leaves his reservation for a primary white school called Reardan to find hope. He struggles with friendships, family, basketball, school work and identity through the year. His experiences on and off the reservation, are constantly changing his beliefs to become less racist and more positive. For example, Junior begins thinking that hope is barely reachable for him, but ends the book realizing that nothing stops him from having hope except how much he works for it.

Mentors are people who provide support, strength, and inspiration. Many people have a mentor in their life that they aspire to be like, and seek out for guidance. Mentors play a big role in many lives, including Junior's from The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. Some of the biggest mentors for Junior are his parents, his Wellpinit teacher Mr. P and his Rearden basketball coach. If it weren't for these mentors inspiration and support, Junior wouldn't have taken some of the risks he does.