CITATION:
Alexie, Sherman and Ellen Forney. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. New York: Little,
Brown and Company, 2007.
ISBN: 978-0-316-01369-7.
SUMMARY:
Junior (Arnold) is a Native American teenager living in
poverty on a reservation. A child who has always struggled to fit in, he is
even more shunned by others on the reservation when he decides to go to the
white high school off the reservation after realizing that there is more hope
for a future there. His own community calls him a traitor, and he initially
struggles to find his identity at this new school. After losing loved ones and
reflecting on the realities of life on a reservation, he comes to grips with
how he will live his life.
CRITITAL ANALYSIS:
In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, the
reader is exposed to the life of a teenager living in poverty on a Spokane
American Indian reservation in current times in America. Junior (Arnold Spirit)
realizes there is no hope there. The culture of the reservation reveals that
alcoholism is the root of many people’s sadness, death is common, poverty is
widespread, and fights are the medium which people communicate. The plot of
this story moves smoothly and quickly, and readers can find themselves relating
to one of many complex characters in the story. Rowdy, Junior’s childhood best
friend, becomes his worst enemy because he is jealous and senses he is being
rejected. Junior’s parents want the best for him, but his Dad exhibits selfish and
weak tendencies. His grandmother, a positive and accepting force, is killed
suddenly by a drunk driver. There are many instances of senseless sadness that eventually
strips hope from those living there. However, Junior is seen by his community
as anything but strong. He is called names and lives scared he is going to get
beat up. Sensing he has nothing to lose, he manages to forge ahead and make
lasting relationships at his new white school. The most dynamic characters in
the story are Rowdy and Junior. Rowdy learns how to make amends and shows love
for his old friend. Junior gains confidence in himself and learns to respect
his Native American culture on the reservation while knowing that his life is
going to be better when he grows up and moves off it.
This book brings the reader face-to-face with the truth of
how some Native Americans children feel. Junior is looking for hope, and he is
unable to see much of it in his community. Complex issues are discussed in this
book, including alcoholism, poverty, gambling, death, suicide, bullying, shame
and fear. But, the reader also sees the bond of family, heritage, loyalty, and friendship.
Some authentic thoughts that are brought up though the conscience pondering of
the main character are “Why do American Indians celebrate Thanksgiving?” “Who
has the most hope?” and even expressing anger at God. Without giving an answer,
the author is bringing to light many questions and consideration related to
Native Americans. Alexie, an insider when writing about Native Americans, is appropriate
and respectful in his presentation of the struggles, criticisms, and
accomplishments of many in his culture, and he offers hope through positive
relationships seen in the story. He does an excellent job of showing a
character that achieves success on his own.
Ellen Forney, the illustrator, completes this book with comic-style
pictures, which is meant to be comics created by Junior (Arnold) in the book. As
a teenage boy, his humor shows a lot of sarcasm in the comics he draws of his
family, his coach, and his friends. Forney’s illustrations, which are found on
every second to fourth page, add to the book by letting the reader experience
Junior’s feelings though sketches as well as words.
Appropriate for high schoolers, this book invites reflection
and contemplation and invites readers to glimpse into what it is like to be a
Native American teenager today. While some readers may find some of the
language crude (words such as boners, zits, and retard are used), the story is
told through the lens of a repressed teenage boy who is making sense of the
world around him. He realizes that he is part of many tribes, one being the
Spokane Indian tribe, but he is also part of a tribe of basketball players,
beloved sons, teenage boys, people in poverty, and many other things. The conclusion
of the story reveals that one person’s path is not everyone’s path.
REVIEWS AND AWARDS:
National Book Award for Young People’s Literature (2007)
Odyssey Award (2009)
American Indian Library Association Award
Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Fiction (2008)
American Indian Youth Literature Award for Best Young Adult
Book (2008)
Kirkus Review:
“Alexie nimbly blends sharp wit with unapologetic emotion in
his first foray into young-adult literature. Fourteen-year-old Junior is a
cartoonist and bookworm with a violent but protective best friend Rowdy. Soon
after they start freshman year, Junior boldly transfers from a school on the
Spokane reservation to one in a tiny white town 22 miles away. Despite his
parents’ frequent lack of gas money (they’re a “poor-ass family”), racism at
school and many crushing deaths at home, he manages the year … Junior’s keen
cartoons sprinkle the pages as his fluid narration deftly mingles raw feeling
with funny, sardonic insight.”
School Library Journal:
“As for the writing, it’s top notch. This kind of subject
matter requires a seemingly effortless mixture of laughter and tears. … The
book’s themes and discussion of racial and cultural issues assume that the
readership is going to be old enough to digest the information. After all, this
is a novel about making a decision between your culture and your future. Work
in the theme of race in the twenty-first century and you’re dealing with some
pretty intense issues.”
CONNECTIONS:
There is an NPR interview with Sherman Alexie about this
book. Students could listen to that to understand the context from which Alexie
wrote.
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