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"The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian" by Sherman Alexie

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Essay On Part Time Indian

Taya Walker Mrs. Love Hilliard Multicultural Lit & Film 28 April 2017 Part- Time The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, the title even catches my attention. I could tell from just looking at the cover page it would be a hit. Junior, he’s faced with several different situations, and most of the time, the outcome always ended terrible. His life was not perfect at all. Junior managed to get through the struggle. Most importantly he never forgot where he came from, no matter how far away from home he was. In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie, the theme of identity is developing very quickly in the text so far. From Junior and his family being in the Slum Indian Reservation , to Junior's drawings of his Indian teacher and sister. They are living in poverty, with scarcely no food. This all makes them who they are today. Also Mr. P has the talk with Junior after he hits him with the book, which makes him start to realize who he …show more content…

He has big dreams for his best friend. He realizes that everything isn't all bad, and that Junior, one day will be doing big things with his life. He's been through so much, he deserves some peace and happiness for once. As in the text, Rowdy states he dreamed of him standing on the Great Wall of China. Junior tries to convince Rowdy to be better and we all know deep down he can be. Rowdy just wants what’s best for his best friend, even if that means accepting him. Reading this book was an eye opener. It showed me that everybody goes through struggles, not just African American people, but people different races, and even religion. I learned that it’s not okay to bully anyone. You never know what the person is going through at home and their current situation. Poverty is real and very despairing. I wouldn’t wish that on anybody. I enjoyed reading this book, and I suggest it to everyone. It is a real life eye

Breaking And Entering Sherman Alexie Summary

At his off-reservation high school, he was the only Indian, except for the school mascot. He excelled in his classes and became a star basketball player, an experience that inspired his first young-adult novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.

The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part Time Indian By Sherman Alexie

“The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian”, written by Sherman Alexie, is a novel describing a 14 year old’s journey throughout high school. In the story, Junior, the main character, is faced with multiple obstacles in his life: Hydrocephalus, poverty, and the target of bullying. Despite the world being against him, Junior’s multiple traits helps him greatly when it comes to the adversity that accompanies his migration from the Wellpinit Reservation to Rearden.

Diary Of A Part-Time Indian

In ''The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian'', Arnold spirit, who is an Indian boy, lives on a Spokane Indian Reservation with alchoholic parents. Adding to that, he is a hydrocephalic, which has affected his speaking ability and he had to deal with being bullied and getting picked on in school. However, he wants to overcome these challenges and move on in life to something better, because he is dissatisfied with the situation he is in. Later in the story, he decides to go to a white school where he begins feeling like a part-time indian.

Absolutely True Diary

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.

Essay On The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part Time Indian By Sherman Alexie

In the novel “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part time Indian”, author Sherman Alexie shares a compelling story representing racial issues among communities and families in cultural areas today, and a boy’s journey to find who he truly is, while being torn between two cultures. In this novel the main character, young Junior finds himself truly understanding that he is more than just an indian. In order to know more about the plot behind the novel, author Alexie takes the reader into Junior’s perspective to bring the story to life and let the reader understand how racial issues along with family problems make a play into today’s society. The novel shows a countless number of situations Junior encounters that impact his life throughout the novel.

"The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,” by Sherman Alexie is a book full of valuable life lessons and themes. The book expresses about the experiences of racism, prejudices towards other people, and living in poverty. Reading this book has taught me some valuable lessons, some of them being; Identity, knowing, understanding and accepting one’s self; having more self-esteem, and understanding the importance of family relations.

Absolutely True Diary Of A Part Time Indian Essay

He shows his courage, brains, and emotions in different ways throughout the entire book. He shows his courage when he beats Rowdy in basketball, his brains when he stood up to his teacher and corrected him, and his emotions when mourning for himself, his tribe, and everyone they had lost. Even though Junior may not seem like the best role model, nevertheless, we can all learn something from him, and about how, even though he had a hard life, he is still fighting, and isn’t giving

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Essay

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.

Theme Of The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part Time Indian

This book, "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie, is about a boy called Arnold Spirit aka Junior. He is a Native American that lives in an Indian Reservation. He isn't really satisfied with his life, since he's pretty poor, but he gets along. He doesn't really accept himself, since he has multiple medical problems, and he has been beaten up since he was little. When he starts to gain more friends in this new (American) school, he starts to like and accept himself more than before. In this book, "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian" (by Sherman Alexie), the main theme is about Arnold trying to accept himself.

The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part Time Indian

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is the story of Junior’s journey to discovery of self. Like many teens, he finds himself

Cultural Influences in the Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

• 2 Works Cited

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

Almost all teens experience some sort of an identity crisis. They struggle with finding a clearer sense of themselves. Arnold Spirit Jr., a 14-year-old reservation Indian, faces an identity crisis when he leaves his reservation to go to school in Reardan, a town inhibited by white people. To begin, Arnold moves between different settings, and when he does, there is a change in his identity. Moreover, there is a change in his character as he moves between cities. Finally, Arnold experiences an identity crisis as well as conflicts with his community. In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, the author uses literary elements to emphasize that one’s racial and ethnic identity changes depending on the social surrounding.

Literary Analysis Of The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part Time Indian

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.

Analysis Of The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part Time Indian

Sherman Alexie book “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part – Time Indian” is a comical yet heartbreaking true story of an Indian teenage boy living on the reservation trying to figure out his own identity. Throughout the book the reader can see the identity struggles that the main character Arnold Spirit Jr (Junior) faces. Being on the reservation is both a home and a place Junior is ready to leave. Through Juniors illustrations and……

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Essay Samples on Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-time Indian

The absolutely true diary of a part-time indian: the section analysis.

I think it’s really cool that the book takes each entry as a chapter and how each chapter begins with a heading of a certain theme instead of a date. My first impression of Junior is that he’s very positive and outgoing. He explains his...

• Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-time Indian
• Sherman Alexie

The Story Behind The Absolute True Diary Of A Part-time Indian

The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a novel written by Sherman Alexie. It was first published September 12, 2007, before it was rereleased in 2017 for its 10th anniversary. Over the years, the book has won several awards, such as three “year`s...

The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-time Indian And The Tragedies In It

In this book, we meet the main character Arnold Spirit Jr. Where he tells about his life on the Spokane Indian reservation. “I was born with water in my brain” is the first line of the book. The narrator doesn’t waste any time telling you...

The Literary Analysis Of Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-time Indian

About the author Sherman Joseph Alexie, Jr. (born October 7, 1966) is a Spokane-Coeur d'Alene-American novelist, short story writer, poet, and filmmaker. His writings draw on his experiences as an Indigenous American with ancestry from several tribes. He grew up on the Spokane Indian Reservation...

Best topics on Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-time Indian

1. The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-time Indian: The Section Analysis

2. The Story Behind The Absolute True Diary Of A Part-time Indian

3. The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-time Indian And The Tragedies In It

4. The Literary Analysis Of Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-time Indian

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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

By sherman alexie, the absolutely true diary of a part-time indian essay questions.

Why is Junior more likely to leave the reservation than Rowdy?

Junior's family is more supportive than Rowdy's. They knew how important Junior's future is to him, and they are willing to do whatever it takes to help him achieve that dream. Rowdy's father, though, beats him regularly. He is not interested in Rowdy's future. Because of the abuse he suffers at home, Rowdy does not have the same hopeful attitude that Junior does; he has only ever been able to channel his energy into violence. 

What finally prompts Penelope to become friends with Junior? How can Junior relate to her in a way that nobody else does? 

Junior overhears Penelope throwing up in the bathroom. When she tries to boast about her eating disorder, Junior sees a parallel to the way his own father jokes about his alcoholism. Unlike many of the other Reardan kids, Junior knows a lot about addiction and self-harm because he has seen it firsthand. This connection is ultimately ironic - Penelope initially rejects Junior because he is from the reservation; yet it is his unique experiences from growing up on the reservation that eventually forge a bond between them.  

What is the significance of Mary's nickname? How does the meaning evolve throughout the novel? 

At first, Junior calls his sister "Mary Runs Away" because she is so "crazy and random" (28). After high school, where she was a promising student with aspirations to become a novelist, Mary "ran away" from life and retreated to her parents' basement. For several years after graduating, Mary spends 23 hours a day in the basement. However, Mary is inspired to change her life once Junior transfers to Reardan. She then runs away from the reservation altogether by marrying a man she barely knows and relocating to Montana. Therefore, "Mary Runs Away" transforms from a girl who is afraid of chasing her dreams to a girl who is willing to leave everything behind in order to pursue her true happiness. 

Why is basketball so important to Junior and Rowdy?

Basketball plays an important role in both Junior and Rowdy's lives. For Junior, basketball (and his coach) gives him hope and improves his self-esteem after he transfers to Reardan. At first, he feels completely alienated from his new classmates, but he gains their respect with his determination and focus on the basketball court. On the reservation, Rowdy is the basketball star; it the only arena in which he excels. Throughout the novel, Rowdy and Junior communicate through basketball, especially because Rowdy has trouble talking about his feelings. Some of the most significant moments in their friendship occur on the basketball court; Rowdy expresses his frustration about Junior's transfer to Reardan by knocking him out during the game between their schools. At the end of the novel, Alexie uses a (non-competitive) one-on-one basketball game between the two boys to symbolize the renewal of their friendship. 

Why does Rowdy criticize Junior for falling in love with Penelope? Do you think he is valid in his criticism? Why or why not? 

Rowdy accuses Junior of being like all the other "Indian guys who treat white women like bowling trophies" (115). Later, Junior's friend Gordy (who is white) comments that by portraying "beautiful white girls" as "damsels in distress," the media reinforces the idea that white women are superior to women of color, which he believes Junior has internalized. Both Gordy and Rowdy criticize Junior for idolizing Penelope because of the color of her skin; they think that his feelings for Penelope are based on the concept of her rather than who she is as a person. Junior's initial descriptions of Penelope in the early days of his crush seem to support his friends' assessment: he watches her as if she is "a work of art," describing her "white shirt and white shorts... [and] her white bra and white panties." He emphasizes that she is "all white on white on white, like the most perfect kind of vanilla dessert cake you've ever seen" (115). 

How does Junior's friendship with Gordy differ from his relationship with Rowdy?

Rowdy's friendship is based on protection and understanding; it is the one constant in Junior's life. Rowdy and Junior know each other better than anyone else knows them. They have grown up together and they come from the same world. Junior knows that Rowdy loves him even when he is bullying him, he understands that Rowdy's abusive home life has left him unable to express himself and that he often resorts to violence in emotional moments. Unlike Junior's friends at Reardan, Rowdy also understands what it's like to grow up on the reservation. He understands Junior's losses and his triumphs because he shares them. Meanwhile, Junior's relationship with Gordy is much more academic and straightforward. They start hanging out by studying together, and Gordy eventually takes Junior under his wing. They bond because they are both outcasts, the only two members of their tribe. 

What does Billionaire Ted represent, and why do none of the Indians take him seriously?

Billionaire Ted is a comedic character, an archetypal white man who appropriates Indian culture. His introduction into the novel gives Junior the chance to comment on what he thinks about "white people [who] show up on Indian reservations every year and start telling Indians how much they love them" (162). He calls this phenomenon "sickening" and "boring." Indeed, Ted treats the mourners at Grandmother Spirit's funeral as if they were collectibles in a museum, reducing their culture to the arrowheads and blankets hanging on the walls of his mansion. However, the interaction between Billionaire Ted and Junior's mother is representative of the fact that even though white settlers shoved Indians onto reservations and stripped away everything they once had, their culture and tribal unity is unshakeable. Just like Junior's race and poor background make him an outsider at Reardan, Ted's elevated social status and racial background mean that he will never truly know "everything" about Indians, no matter how many billions he has in the bank. 

According to Junior, what is the "worst part" about being poor? 

Junior believes the worst part about being poor is that poverty kills hope. He claims that hunger is not that bad, because "sooner or later, my parents will come bursting through the door with a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken" (8). However, he goes on to describe how it feels to believe that you deserve to be poor. "You start beliving that you're poor because you're stupid and ugly. And then you start believing that you're stupid and ugly because you're Indian" (13). It's an "ugly circle," he observes cynically, a life in which his father has to kill his sick dog because they cannot afford a veterinary visit. Ironically, the lack of hope that Junior cites as the "worst thing about being poor" does not actually cost any money. 

Why does Junior cry after leading the Reardan team to victory over Wellpinit? 

The first time that Reardan plays Wellpinit, the Wellpinit supporters turn their backs on Junior and Rowdy clobbers him so hard he ends up in the hospital. This experience fills him with anger and vengeance, so during the rematch, Junior plays as aggressively as he can. When Reardan is celebrating their victory, though, Junior looks at the disappointed Wellpinit players, realizing that a few of them probably haven't eaten breakfast, some of them have alcoholic parents, and that none of them will go to college. He suddenly feels ashamed for being so focused on vengeance; he feels selfish for acting out of pain and anger. This moment is an important turning point for Junior - he starts figuring out how to belong in both places. He is still rooted in his culture even though he goes to Reardan and plans to leave the reservation. 

What is Junior's stance on alcohol? What shapes it over the course of the novel? 

Junior mentions alcohol for the first time in the second chapter of the book, when he describes going to a powwow where "the Indians who aren't dancers and singers... are most likely going to get drunk and beat the shit out of any available losers" (17). Both of his parents drink, his father often disappears on drunken binges. All of the deaths that take place over the course of the novel are connected to alcohol; even Grandmother Spirit, who never drank, was hit by a drunk driver. After his sister dies, Junior tries to "hang onto the good and sober moments tightly," but he can't help but cry. "I was crying for my tribe," he explains, "I was crying because I knew five or ten or fifteen more Spokane would die during the next year, and that most of them would die because of booze" (216). At the beginning of the novel, Junior is afraid of drunk bullies beating him up, but by the end of the novel, he has much more perspective; he can see how much his community is hurting. 

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

The absolutely true diary of a part time indian

1) blackjack dealer

2) paper route

3) mowing lawns

Why does Mr.P say the following ?

Mr. P makes this comment because he not only blames himself for the condition of his students.... he puts them equally at blame for how they treat each other..... and for giving up.

"You were right to throw that book at me. I deserved to get...

On page 194, junior states that "one play can change your momentum forever." How does this quote describe his life after the basketball game? When, in your own life, has "one play" changed everything after? Explain

Junior finds a new sense of validation after his three point play. For once in his life, he is accepted by the main white social circles of high school. Jinior however feels ashamed that his new appreciation probably came at the expense of Rowdy....

Study Guide for The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian study guide contains a biography of Sherman Alexie, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
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Essays for The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.

• An Exploration of Double Consciousness in Sherman Alexie’s The Absoultely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
• “A Time of Togetherness”: How Alexie Sherman and Velma Wallis use Christmas to Present Contemporary Native American Issues
• Race and Identity: 'The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian' and 'Monster'
• Exacerbating Oppression

Lesson Plan for The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Sherman alexie.

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

Diary of a Part-Time Indian: Introduction

Diary of a part-time indian: plot summary, diary of a part-time indian: detailed summary & analysis, diary of a part-time indian: themes, diary of a part-time indian: quotes, diary of a part-time indian: characters, diary of a part-time indian: symbols, diary of a part-time indian: theme wheel, brief biography of sherman alexie.

Historical Context of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Other books related to the absolutely true diary of a part-time indian.

• Full Title: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
• When Written: 2005-2006
• Where Written: Seattle, Washington
• When Published: 2007
• Literary Period: Contemporary Fiction
• Genre: Coming-of-Age Novel, Semi-Autobiographical Novel
• Setting: Wellpinit, Spokane Indian Reservation, Washington, and Reardan, Washington, in 2006
• Climax: When Reardan defeats Wellpinit (or Junior defeats Rowdy) in basketball
• Antagonist: Rowdy, Angry Tribal Members, Racism, Alcoholism, and Poverty
• Point of View: First Person (Junior is the narrator)

Extra Credit for The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Most Banned. The novel’s explicit language, frank references to masturbation, and other themes make it frequently banned in American school districts; the American Library Association named it the No. 1 most banned and challenged book of 2014.

Basketballness of Me. Alexie has explained his refusal to sell the movie rights of Absolutely True Diary by saying that it would be too hard to find a young Indian actor who could both act and play basketball well enough to portray Junior, who is essentially Alexie’s younger self. What’s more, between heritage and basketball, basketball would be more important: “I’d rather see myself played by a Puerto Rican or an Italian with a tan than have them ruin the basketballness of me,” he told the New York Times in 2009.

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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

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Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-3

Chapters 4-6

Chapters 7-9

Chapters 10-12

Chapters 13-15

Chapters 16-18

Chapters 19-21

Chapters 22-24

Chapters 25-27

Chapters 28-30

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Discussion Questions

Near the beginning of the novel, Junior asks his parents “who has the most hope?” and his parents respond, “white people” (45). Similarly, Mr. P tells Junior he’ll find more hope the further he gets away from the reservation. Junior, however, says “I don’t know if hope is white” (51). Discuss the nature of hope in Absolutely True Diary , considering how it relates to race and white privilege. What gives Junior hope? Does he have more of it by the end of the novel? What role does Whiteness play, if any?

Junior’s father goes on a drinking bender, and when he returns, he gives Junior his last five dollars as a Christmas present. Junior describes the gift as a “beautiful and ugly thing.” What does Junior mean by this? What else is Absolutely True Diary might be considered “beautiful and ugly”?

Junior’s relationship with the Reservation is complicated and often contradictory. At times, the reservation seems like a place of despair, yet other times it seems a place of love and great joy. How has the reservation shaped the way Junior sees the world, and how does his relationship to it change and grow?

Junior and Rowdy were born on the same day and are childhood best friends, but they develop into two entirely different characters. How does their relationship change over the course of the book? What brings them together and pushes them apart? What sort of friendship do they have at the end of the book, if any?

Junior’s two closest friends are Rowdy , whom he has known since childhood, and Gordy , whom he meets at Reardan. How do the friendships compare, and how do the different relationships allow Junior to explore different parts of his identity?

Mr. P describes Mary Runs Away as “the smartest kid [he’s] ever had,” smarter even than Junior (26). How do the lives of Mary Runs Away and Junior compare? How are they similar, and how are they different? Consider Mary’s letters to Junior in your answer.

Junior says that he draws cartoons because he “wants to talk to the world,” and includes his cartoons and sketches throughout the novel. How do these cartoons contribute to The Absolutely True Diary ? What do they allow him to do, or show, what words cannot? What do the different cartoon styles suggest?

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a coming-of-age story with Junior at its center. How does Junior come of age over the course of the book? What are pivotal moments in his development? How is different from when we meet him at the book’s beginning?

Gordy asserts “Life is a constant struggle between being an individual and being a member of the community.” In what ways does this observation play out over the course of the novel? How is Junior’s individuality at odds with his different communities, and how does he reconcile this over the course of the novel?

Basketball plays a central role in the book. How does basketball shape Junior’s sense of self and his time at Reardan? How does it shape his relationship to the members of the reservation? Consider Junior’s relationship with his Coach and Rowdy in your answer.

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