“Naked woman+right hand= happy happy joy joy” (Alexie, 26) is one of the many lines that contribute to the restriction of the book Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie in many distinct school districts. Sherman Alexie encompasses a few different inappropriate categories in the book, mainly to show an evolving conception of life on the “Rez”. Part Time Indian has won various awards including the National Book Award, yet still has been banned by a plethora of school boards across the country. One of the main reasons that this book has been banned is for its explicit language and sexual references that parents refuse to have their kids reading. According to a study done by the American Library Association, around 56 percent of book challenges …show more content…
Masturbation, and arousement are a conventional part of the teenage years, and Alexie shows that Junior is in fact still a normal teen, despite his constant hardships. Alexie shows Junior “Spend[ing] hours in the bathroom with a magazine that has one thousand pictures of naked movie stars” (Alexie, 25) in order to lighten up the mood in such a depressing book. Even though that quote could be deemed inappropriate, it shows normality and humor. Sexuality is listed as one of the main reasons as to why Part Time Indian was banned at the Antioch High School by parents. Alexie again uses sexuality towards the end of the book at a time of despair when Juniors says, “Miss Warren hugged me so tight that I was pretty sure she could feel, er, physical reaction” (Alexie, 201). Junior made this comment indicating that he was aroused by the enticing guidance counselor after she had hugged him, but before she had broken the news to him that his sister had passed away. This action of sexuality right before a time of sadness shows that the physiological response of sexuality doesn’t always match the mood, and the complex years of being a …show more content…
Alcoholism is a chilling subject, but one that is prevalent amongst many adults, especially native americans, and plays a vital role in the message of this book. Alcoholism adds to the overall feeling of depression, as alcohol plays a huge role in all of the negative actions on the reservation. Every single spare dime that Junior’s father could get his hands on was spent on alcohol; he could never dispel it. Even on Christmas when there wasn’t enough money to have Christmas presents, Junior’s dad went drinking. When he came back, Junior’s dad asked him to take his shoe that “Smelled like booze and fear and failure” (Alexie, 151). Inside the shoe was a 5 dollar bill that his dad had saved. Alexie shows honor in that even a raging alcoholic still thought to save some cash for his son. This scene and other scenes from this book show how much alcoholism can take over one’s life, and could even discourage the reader from ever drinking alcohol. Alcoholism even takes over in times of sadness when family members die from alcohol! Guests at Junior’s sisters funeral were ironically “Drinking booze and getting drunk and stupid and sad and mean” (Alexie, 211). Alexie portrays sadness, depression, alcoholism, and a sedentary attitude towards life while adding power to the depressing story of Junior. Some may call the references to alcoholism
Encountering struggles in life defines one’s character and speaks volumes about their strength, ambition, and flexibility. Through struggles, sacrifice, and tragedy, Junior in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie, adapts to survive difficult situations and faces his problems head-on. As he makes life changing decisions, adapts to an unfamiliar culture, and finds himself amongst misery and heartbreak, Junior demonstrates resilience to overcome adversity and struggles.
One in every twelve adults suffer from alcoholism in the United States, and it is the most commonly used addictive substance in the world. The World Health Organization has defined alcoholism as “an addiction to the consumption of alcoholic liquor or the mental illness and compulsive behavior resulting from alcohol dependency.” Reiterated themes encompassing Jeannette Walls’ father’s addiction to alcohol are found in her novel, The Glass Castle: a memoir, which displays instances of financial instability and abuse that hurt the Walls children for the rest of their lives. The Walls’, altogether, are emotionally, physically, and mentally affected by Rex’s alcoholism, which leads to consequences on the Walls children.
would sign any treaty for her (Alexie).” However, alcohol only made their lives worse. Native Americans throughout the story began to realize that sticking to tradition was more important than following the negative roads of white American culture.
Arnold Spirit is fourteen years old, and he has already attended forty-two funerals. “And you know what the worst part is? The unhappy part? About 90 percent of the deaths have been because of alcohol.” In the acclaimed novel and award winning audiobook The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, author Sherman Alexie tells the realistic, yet fictional, account of Arnold Spirit, better known as “Junior” on the Spokane Indian reservation where he lives. Junior’s family even expected him to “croak” at six months old when doctors cut open his skull to remove the water in his brain. But, he lives. ...
SAMHSA’s expert panel also put together a fact sheet about homelessness among Native Americans, they state facts such as how “behavioral health problems, disrupted families, domestic violence, and housing shortages” play a major role in homelessness (1). However, Native Americans face even more challenges such as “acculturation, traditional values at odds with modern life, racism and stereotyping, and unresolved grief from historical trauma” (1). There are many stereotypes about Native Americans. Some of those include being alcoholics, gamblers, and not being mentally stable. Jackson, the main character in “What You Pawn I Will Redeem” is homeless out on the streets in Seattle. He has a drinking problem, which has given him health problems, and he doesn’t spend the money that he receives wisely. This shows that the stereotypes that are associated with Native Americans are, in some cases, extremely likely to be true. Homelessness and stereotypes are the central points for this short story and it is brought up throughout and through the Homeless in Seattle painting. To coincide with those stereotypes, the SAMHSA conducted research on the health of homeless Native Americans. They have concluded that “high rates of alcohol and substance abuse, mental health disorders, suicide, violence, and behavior-related chronic diseases in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities are well documented” (7). Many of the health problems that Native Americans face are because of their own individual behavioral health problems. In other words, the way they consume alcohol causes many of their health problems. The SAMHSA has found out that for Native Americans, “the alcohol-related death rate is over five times greater than the U.S. rate for all races”
Adolescents experience a developmental journey as they transition from child to adult, and in doing so are faced with many developmental milestones. Physical, cognitive, social and emotional changes are occurring during this tumultuous stage of life, and making sense of one’s self and identity becomes a priority. Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian addresses the challenges of adolescence in an engaging tale, but deals with minority communities and cultures as well.
“The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” is a humorous and intuitive novel written by Sherman Alexie. The reader gets an insight into the everyday life of a fourteen year old hydrocephalic Indian boy named Arnold Spirit, also referred to as Junior Spirit. He is living on the Spokane Indian reservation and is seen as an outcast by all the other Indians, due to his medical condition. Against all odds Arnold expands his hope, leaves his school on the reservation and faces new obstacles to obtain a more promising future at a school off the reservation. The novel is told through Arnold’s voice, thoughts, actions and experiences. Alexie incorporates one point of view, different themes and settings, such as poverty, friendship, Spokane and Reardan within Arnold’s journey to illustrate the different hardships he must overcome to gain a higher education.
Alexie, Sherman. The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. New York: Hachette Book Group, 2007. Print.
Ever wondered what gets readers hooked on a book? In “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie, the authors have many ways to grab the reader's attention by using many techniques from humor to emotional and traumatic suspense. In the book, the main character named Junior is an Indian boy growing up on a reservation. By growing up on the reservation junior makes a choice to leave the reservation and go to a white school which gives Junior obstacles in his life. There are many obstacles that happen even before Junior decided to go to another path with his life.
Ghosh, R. P. (2012, February 11). Native Americans: The Tragedy of Alcoholism. Retrieved May 21, 2014, from International Business Times: http://www.ibtimes.com/native-americans-tragedy-alcoholism-214046
Growing up on an Indian Reservation is a tough thing to do. Everyone is poor, and almost every adult is always drunk and unhappy. Junior’s own father suffers from alcoholism. His father will sometimes forget about Junior and never shows up to give him a ride home. Junior is then forced to walk or hitchhike all the way back to the Reservation. His father also constantly spends all of their money on alcohol, even during the holidays, “...Dad did what he always does when we don’t have enough money. He took what little money we did have and ran away to get drunk” (Alexie 150). Junior’s unfortunate understanding of alcoholism makes him see the world as an unfair place. He knows that he never wants to be like his father when he grows up. Alcohol also causes a lot of deaths in Junior’s life. His sister died in a terrible fire because she was too drunk to escape her burning RV. Junior is let out of school early because of his sister’s death. He has to wait for his father to come get him, and he laughs and he cannot stop laughing at the thought of his dad also dying on his way to pick Junior up, “...it’s not too comforting to learn that your sister was TOO FREAKING DRUNK to feel any pain when she BURNED TO DEATH! And for some reason, that thought made me laugh even harder, (Alexie 205). When he finally finds out about how his sister dies, he cannot help but laugh even more. Every Indian dies because of alcohol, and Junior finds it funny
... father, turned to alcohol to make the pain less noticeable. It is important to understand stereotypes because they often have a deeper meaning than what is seen at the surface. In addition to the stereotypes, it is also important to understand that the more things seem to change, the more they stay the same. History repeats itself, and Flight takes that statement literally to develop a coming-of-age story that is deeply rooted in Native American history. The story of an orphaned child who has to live through vivid tales of murder, mutilation, suicide, and alcoholism from the past to come to a point of self-realization shows the reader how important it is to have knowledge of the past so that they can apply it to the present and eventually guide what course they take in the future. Hopefully, this cycle that often begins and ends with alcoholism will soon be broken.
Hence, in the story, Jackson shares his grandfather’s murder at the hands of a family member during a drunken domestic violence dispute. “Yeah, it was awful … his brother and his girlfriend were drunk and beating on each other …my grandfather kneeled down beside her …my great uncle reached down, pulled my grandfather’s pistol out of the holster, and shot him in the head.” This conversation denotes to some degree the harsh reality that Jackson could have been exposed to during his childhood. Yet, NolseCat in his article “13 Issues Facing Native People Beyond Mascots and Casinos” spotlights that women and children in Native American communities fall victims to the undesirable acts of violence and teen suicide rates double that of the national rate. Additionally, NolseCat suggests, “Native peoples suffer from high rates of poverty and unemployment,” which heightens anxiety in the face of economic hardship. These factors influence both the emotional and physical states of the individuals facing these conditions; therefore, when poverty and alcohol are added factors, more often than not it creates an environment conducive to
Within the memoir, The Glass Castle, the self destructing addiction of alcohol becomes an apparent theme throughout the literature. Alcoholism is a disease that can cause destruction to families and even ruin lives. This is a common occurrence that effect’s many Americans today. Alcoholism is one of the most common problems in families, it doesn’t always interfere with just the person drinking the alcohol. It also affects the people around the influenced person. Rex’s struggle with alcohol is logged through his daughter Jeannettes struggles as she is finding the balance between respecting daughter and a strong individual. It is through her accounts that the reader is able to see the truly damaging effects of this disease.
Adjusting to another culture is a difficult concept, especially for children in their school classrooms. In Sherman Alexie’s, “Indian Education,” he discusses the different stages of a Native Americans childhood compared to his white counterparts. He is describing the schooling of a child, Victor, in an American Indian reservation, grade by grade. He uses a few different examples of satire and irony, in which could be viewed in completely different ways, expressing different feelings to the reader. Racism and bullying are both present throughout this essay between Indians and Americans. The Indian Americans have the stereotype of being unsuccessful and always being those that are left behind. Through Alexie’s negativity and humor in his essay, it is evident that he faces many issues and is very frustrated growing up as an American Indian. Growing up, Alexie faces discrimination from white people, who he portrays as evil in every way, to show that his childhood was filled with anger, fear, and sorrow.