Absolutely True Diary Of A Part Time Indian Analysis

A Better Life According to Explore Campaigns more than 1.3 billion people in our world live in extreme poverty. In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, Arnold Spirit has to prove that he can break the never-ending circle of hardship that is present on his rez. The struggles associated with stepping out of his comfort zone are clearly shown throughout the novel. As the book progresses Junior chooses to go to a rich white school in hopes of a better future, and when he gets there he is treated differently than the other students because he does not look or act the same as them. Middle school is a difficult time for a normal kid, but coming 22 miles everyday from a reservation makes life even more challenging. Arnold

In this situation, the white people symbolize hope and Arnold choosing to go to Reardan shows that he believes that he can be successful in the future. Even though he is taunted by his tribe for being “Disloyal” Arnold sticks with his decision which will help him in the long run to leave the reservation. Secondly, while talking to Penelope Arnold realizes that they both have big hopes and dreams in the world. He shows this when he says, “And I couldn’t make fun of her for that dream. It was my dream, too. And Indian boys weren’t supposed to dream like that. And white girls from small towns weren’t supposed to dream big, either. We were supposed to be happy with our limitation. But there was no way Penelope and I were going to sit still. Nope, we both wanted to fly” (112). By saying there was no way he is going to sit still, Arnold shows he has hope that he will not end up stuck on the reservation like he would be if he just stayed still. He takes the courageous step of getting off his butt and hiking the twenty-two miles to school every day. With the education Arnold receives at the better school his future is much brighter that it would be if he accepted his impoverished lifestyle. Finally, despite being doubted by adults, Arnold makes the school varsity basketball team at a young age and describes his excitement towards his

Despite, all these racist remarks, he holds his head high and keeps going to Reardan. The metaphor indians are living proof that niggers fuck buffalo is used to show that racist people like Roger treated indians like big fat animals who had no feelings. The perseverance Arnold demonstrates throughout the relentless taunting is what will lead him to a more comfortable lifestyle. Furthermore, racism is also demonstrated towards the middle of the book by Arnold’s teacher when he says, “‘Okay Arnold,’ Dodge said. ‘Where did you learn this fact? On the reservation? Yes, we all know there’s so much amazing science on the reservation.’ My classmates snickered. They pointed their fingers at me and giggled” (86). The racist teacher illustrates what Arnold has to deal with on his quest for an education. Even adults don’t believe Arnold will amount to anything in life, but by overcoming the racism he faces, Arnold has a better shot at success. Letting the teacher drag him down would be letting the people who don’t believe that Indians can get off the rez win. Additionally, Penelope's dad is also racist when Penelope brings Arnold home for the first time to introduce him to her parents. Her dad says “‘Kid, if you get my daughter pregnant, if you make some charcoal babies, I'm going to disown her. I’m going to kick her out of my house and you'll have to bring her home to your mommy and daddy.