An essential part of the developmental journey of an adolescent is experiencing a multitude of individual struggles and difficulties created through social construction. During this progressional stage of life, one finds a form of release based on personal preference. In Sherman Alexie’s novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, the speaker incorporates visuals in order to give access to the protagonist’s innermost thoughts. The visuals allow for harsh subjects such as alcoholism, bullying
Spirit, also known as Junior, the narrator and protagonist of Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Traditions and common ideas of our hometowns can play a large role in who we are. Junior’s Spokane Indian reservation is no different. Junior is faithful to the tradition of fisticuffs which demands you fight anyone who says/thinks/does/is anything insulting, despite his losses dwarfing his wins (True Diary 61-62). Despite being outnumbered, the narrator knows he must
Sherman Alexie’s novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, reveals one of life’s most relevant purposes that stretches across cultural and relates to every person. The novel examines the life of the strong-willed Arnold also known as Junior who goes constantly back and forth with his identity as he lives between Arnold and Junior. Identity is most simply defined as a person's own sense of self, their personal sense of who they are. In this essay research was gathered from the novel;
It would be frightening and hard for most people. In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, this is exactly what Arnold Spirit does. As an opportunity for him to leave his poverty behind, he moves to a new and unfamiliar school, placing himself at risk and alienating his former colleagues. Throughout, Arnold experiences many events that could be seen as an initiation. In Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Arnold Spirit chooses to undergo an initiation, and
In Sherman Alexie’s novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, the author examines the importance of family and community. Alexie succeeds in shattering the stereotype of Native Americans as a broken community by emphasizing key events that show that they are still a close-knit society, despite the impact of poverty and alcohol. Junior is exposed to alcohol and poverty and the effects it has on the people of the community on the reservation. The poverty in his community leads to inadequate
In an effort to expand his horizons and break out of the mold the reservation creates, Junior, the protagonist decided to attend school off the reservation. In Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, the reservation schools only taught kids “how to give up” (42). Junior was told by Mr. P, a white teacher at his school, that if he stayed on the reservation, they were “going to kill” (42) him because he cannot fight forever. Junior has always been beat up for looking different
Persistive In Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, perspective is the driving factor for all of it’s characters, influencing their belief in themselves and their freedom to either achieve their dreams or be trapped by their reality. The majority of Mary’s life is a depressing reality for many who call the Rez their home, however Mary’s long awaited escape actually results in an almost identical life, but a different attitude. Despite the striking similarities between
Author Sherman Alexie grew up on a Native American reservation in Spokane, Washington, on which his family and tribe had lived for generations. His first young adult novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, although a work of fiction draws heavily on moments from his childhood. He even said himself that in the process of writing it, the novel became semi-autobiographical. The bildungsroman novel follows Arnold "Junior" Spirit Jr., a young Native American boy growing up on the "rez"
Sherman Alexie’s, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, is a fictional novel that examines the effect that immersion into a predominantly white culture has on the identity development a young Indian male. The main character, Arnold Spirit Jr., also known as Junior, is a fourteen-year-old boy who lives on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Washington. He suffers from the after effects of hydrocephalus, a disease in which fluid builds up in cavities deep within the brain. Due to his medical
situations in life. In a positive light, hope can be the driving force to reaching one’s dreams. Sherman Alexie’s book, “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian”, is a story that emphasizes the importance of hope, and how it influences one’s outlook on life and the actions that individuals take. Through the usage of literary elements such as _____ and _____, at its heart, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a story about hope: the hope of overcoming obstacles, the hope of having a better