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

Muhammad Ali once said, “He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.” Sherman Alexie makes this a big point in his novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. This book, Arnold “Junior” Spirit is faced with the decision of whether he should trade his familiar school life on an Indian Reservation for a slightly better education at an all-White school in a small town named Reardan. This is his only way to achieve a better future. Throughout the novel Junior has to fight against criticism for acting differently in order to protect his mindset. Outside forces such as discrimination of race or social status deeply impact one’s hopes, dreams and self-esteem.

Environment and lifestyle are factors that

In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Junior is given the opportunity to continue his education at a better school. Though this opportunity may sound easy, Junior was forced to fight against criticism from his tribe. The people living on the reservation always stayed together no matter what, so there was never a time when someone left. Junior leaving caused the tribe members to become angry and ostracize him. He even admits when he is talking to his friend Gordy about him leaving, “The people at home...A lot of them call me an apple… They call me an apple because they think I’m red on the outside and white on the inside.” (Alexie 131) Another example of this occurs when the protagonist is collecting money for charity and gets beaten up and his money stolen. Junior says: “They didn’t beat me up too bad. I could tell they didn’t want to put me in the hospital or anything. Mostly they just wanted to remind me that I was a traitor.” (Alexie 79). The people on the reservation believe that Junior leaving for a better education is his way of being a traitor and forgetting about his tribe. Both of these incidents show how the tribe felt about him leaving and how their actions affected Junior. Asides from the bad treatment the members of his tribe gave him, Junior also had to fight against the treatment from the staff and students in Reardan. Since he was different than everyone else in the school he turned into an easy target. He was often ignored but especially bullied by the other students. For instance, after seven days of being at his school a group of boys started to verbally attack him and the main boy, Roger, said: “Hey, Chief, you want to hear a joke?... Did you know that Indian are living proof that niggers fuck buffalo?” (Alexie 64) The people at his school were unaccepting of his race and had decided to push him to the end as much as they could. This really affected Junior too. This is