Poverty On Arnold's Reservation Thesis

The Origination and Impact of Poverty on Reservations The prevalence of poverty in Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is driving force in better understanding the development of the characters and the plot. Not only is this issue illustrated within the novel, but it is a hardship faced by Native American reservations all across the United States. The novel shows not only how poverty can impact one individual, but also how poverty is a reoccurring issue that can make a mark on entire families and communities. The question that begs to be asked: What caused many Native American reservations to be put in this constant state of retrogression in regards to poverty and money? In order to answer this question, it is

Poverty on Arnold’s reservation has dismantled nearly all hope. The reader sees this early on when Arnold is discussing his drawings and cartoons. Arnold says, “no matter how good I am, my cartoons will never take the place of food or money. I wish I could draw a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or a fist full of twenty dollar bills” (Alexie 7). It’s interesting to see that despite Arnold’s talent, it is almost as if he is willing to throw it all away for more food or money. This is very same mindset adopted by many men and women faced with poverty. It is also clear that being in poverty not only impacts physical factors such as food, but also emotional and mental factors. Arnold says; “It sucks to be poor, and it sucks to feel that you somehow deserve to be poor… It’s an ugly circle and there’s nothing you can do about it” (11). This just shows how powerless some of the people on the reservation were, specifically children. With Arnold’s position as a child and student, he was extremely limited in what he could do to help his family’s money situation. This is important to examine because children being poor is what starts the “ugly circle” as Arnold refers to it. Children begin to become hopeless and lack motivation, and this can potentially carry on into their adult lives. In addition to this mental and psychological impact, Arnold takes note of his parents being destined

Without Arnold’s drive and motivation, he may not have ever considered attending Reardon. The books allows us to see how poverty impacts the overall dynamic of families and communities. Arnold’s hope and perseverance for a better life show that change is possible, and the generational chokehold that is poverty can be broken within Native American reservations. Granted, not all children will have supporting parents such as Arnold’s. More importantly, the lesson to be learned is that in order for other people to help you, you must, in turn, help