In the fictional story, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian written by Sherman Alexie, a Native American author, describes the problems of a teenager living between two different cultures; one Native American, and the other white. Alexie uses figurative language elements to convince teenagers to be aware and support people living between two worlds in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. By using these literary elements, Sherman Alexie guides the audience to respond emotionally and act upon about the book’s message.
Throughout the story, Alexie uses juxtaposition to show the differences between the two worlds the protagonist lives in. To do this, Sherman Alexie relates Spokane Indian Reservation to Reardan, showing off
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Junior’s emphasis on the positive characteristics implies that Wellpinit High School does not have these standard facilities unlike most schools today. This resonates with the audience, as they most likely go to a school with all the amenities of Reardan High School. This causes the audience to pity Junior, creating pathos and causing the reader to care about The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian’s message of living between two worlds. Furthermore, the author use metaphors to show the trials and tribulations of living between two worlds, further connecting the audience to the books message. After Junior and Gordy have a conversation about what it means to be White and Indian, Junior states that “A Lot of them call me an apple...because they think I’m red on the outside and white on the inside” (131). This segment shows some of the abuse that Junior goes through because of his dreams and aspirations. The apple represents Junior’s body; hard Indian skin on the outside, but with soft, white flesh hidden behind the firm
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.
Picture yourself in a town where you are underprivileged and sometimes miss a meal. In the novel, “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,” Sherman Alexie wrote the book to show hardships that Native Americans face today. Alexie shows us hardships such as poverty, alcoholism and education. In the novel, Junior goes against the odds to go to an all white school to get a better education to have a better life
Have you ever wanted something really badly, but couldn’t afford it? This is a common occurrence, but what about food? Have you ever went to be hungry because you couldn’t afford to eat? Unfortunately, Junior, the main character in the book, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, felt exactly this way for food. Even though Junior didn’t have as many resources as the other “white kids,” he still chose to look at the positives. This novel shows that even in times of great hardship, people can still choose to have hope and look at the good in their lives.
Growing up on a reservation where failing was welcomed and even somewhat encouraged, Alexie was pressured to conform to the stereotype and be just another average Indian. Instead, he refused to listen to anyone telling him how to act, and pursued his own interests in reading and writing at a young age. He looks back on his childhood, explaining about himself, “If he'd been anything but an Indian boy living on the reservation, he might have been called a prodigy. But he is an Indian boy living on the reservation and is simply an oddity” (17). Alexie compares the life and treatment of an Indian to life as a more privileged child. This side-by-side comparison furthers his point that
Establishing an identity has been called one of the most important milestones of adolescent development (Ruffin, 2009). Additionally, a central part of identity development includes ethnic identity (ACT for Youth, 2002). While some teens search for cultural identity within a smaller community, others are trying to find their place in the majority culture. (Bucher and Hinton, 2010)The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian chronicles Junior’s journey to discovery of self. As with many developing teens, he finds himself spanning multiple identities and trying to figure out where he belongs. “Traveling between Reardan and Wellpinit, between the little white town and the reservation, I always felt like a stranger. I was half Indian in one place and half white in the other” (p.118). On the reservation, he was shunned for leaving to go to a white school. At Reardon, the only other Indian was the school mascot, leaving Junior to question his decision to attend school he felt he didn’t deserve. Teens grappling with bicultural identities can relate to Junior’s questions of belonging. Not only is Junior dealing with the struggle between white vs. Indian identities, but with smaller peer group identities as well. In Wellpinit, Junior is th...
“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.
In Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, the main character Arnold, also known as Junior, has many health issues, and notably stands out in the crowd. It does not help that he is a poor Indian boy that lives on a reservation, and that he decides to go to an all-white high school. Many of his experiences at school, and on the Reservation, impact his identity. Experience is the most influential factor in shaping a person’s identity because it helps gain confidence, it teaches new things, and it changes one’s outlook on the world.
Alexie, Sherman. The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. New York: Hachette Book Group, 2007. Print.
Every day, people live their lives without deep thought about the health and wellness of their community. When faced with harsh living conditions or situations, it is easy to become stuck in a negative mentality which doesn’t allow room for positive thoughts in order to create positive change. In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, it explores the areas and factors of public health that ordinary people may or may not be aware of. The main character in the story, Junior, says “There’s always time to change your life”, a statement that can be true for anyone who is still young, has a decent amount of support, and hope to pull them through tough situations.
Friends come and go, it’s the good ones that stay. In the book “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time India” The author convey many themes but friendship is one of the biggest. Throughout the book, Junior the main character talks about his life and how friendship is very important to him. He learns to make new friends and understand to let go of some.
In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie, many relationships exist and are formed in Junior’s life. Whether they are good and bad, they still exist. Junior, the main character, realizes how difficult relationships are in life, whether they are friends, family, or a girlfriend. In the book, Junior goes through tough times with switching schools from the Reservation (Rez) to Reardan and being the only indian kid in his new school. He struggles with making friends and, most of all, struggles with being different.
Alcohol is very effective at being negative. It takes your money, health, and even your relationships. In the book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, has a lot to do with alcohol and the effects. Also, he wrote about how it affected him and his family. Alexie based the story on a character named Junior and his family and his best friend Rowdy.
A plethora of societal values are reflected within texts to compel audiences to develop didactic concerns for an empathetic perception. Sherman Alexie’s poignant first person narration, “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian” (2007) highlights the adversities in the ever prevailing issue of class and money, racial discrimination, war with alcoholism that exist within the universal concerns resonating in modern context. The cumbersome & elongated title of this poignant novel mirrors the life of a hydrophilic child providing a central understanding for readers. As events in the modern novel progress from the perception of a fourteen-year-old American Indian, Junior’s language and inner reflections demonstrate his view of life around
Yet, efforts are being made by the NWI organization and fellow Native Americans. In the beginning of the novel when Junior introduces himself and his best friend Rowdy, he mentions about how tough Rowdy appears to be. Yet, in reality it’s common for Rowdy to be in agony because of his father “‘Dad said I wasn’t listening’, Rowdy said. ‘So he got all drunk and made my ear a little bit
The use of literature helps express individuals with how they lived their lives to others. The power of literature tied with the idea of life helps promote to create an intriguing storyline for other people to read about. Literature and the idea of life are the main components that form into “life passages.” “Indian Education” expresses the situations, adversity, influences, successes, and the mindset of the protagonist through his academic career, which fits the theme of “life passages.” Particularly, the mindset of Alexie is critical to look at. Throughout his schooling years, many external and internal challenges were presented as he grew up such as social prejudice, bullying, and lack of positive engagement from others. Specifically, in third grade, Alexie’s teacher confiscated his artwork and punished by forcing him to stand in the corner of the room. Alexie’s artwork was of a “Stick Indian Taking a Piss in my Backyard.” Furthermore, his friends and classmates e in his neighborhood who are Native American usually amount to little success. However, for Alexie to graduate as Valedictorian from what he overcame and suffered, and to be triumphant against all the odds speaks a lot to his