The title of the novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian written by Sherman Alexie tells it like it is. The story addresses the journey of Arnold Spirit (Junior) who faces physical, social, emotional and psychological changes in the world of poverty and how he finds the inner strength in himself to follow his dreams. Arnold Spirit is born in the Spokane Indian reservation – the "rez" located in Wellpinit suffering from too much cerebral fluid in his brain which results to brain damage. Throughout the novel, Sherman Alexie effectively exhibits how various relevant people and the Reservation impact Arnold's life positively by showing him that at the end of very dark tunnel there is light. The Spokane Reservation and what the Native …show more content…
In this case, there is the bleakness of poverty and the inspiring role models that sprinkle the amazing effects upon Arnold Spirit. From the intense and horrific setting of how the Spokane Indian Reservation can almost completely destroy someone's future life but at the same time push that individual to bring out the positivity and flourish faith by achieving goals following up to Mary's adventurous, tragic, and inspiring career path helping Junior rise to power and popularity at Reardan High and then finally, Mr. P spitting out motivational advice and making Junior view his self-worth and embracing it along the way has ultimately done nothing but positively impacts Junior's future. Therefore, taking all the evidence this sums up that Sherman Alexie has given an alerting reminder that everyone should distribute kindness and understand that people are just like flowers because they grow with sunlight and they still need to grow with a bit of storm to help them succeed in life. With the society of impoverished people and what they have to tolerate, people and places like the Spokane Indian Reservation, Mary Spirit and Mr. P define the meaning of spreading hope and
Indian culture has been disappearing for centuries since the Native Americans were forced to migrate from their original homes. In the book, The Absolutely True Diary of A Part-Time Indian, an Indian boy displays how to escape the poverty of his Indian Reservation by going to a wealthy white school, as well as keeping his Indian Culture alive when living on the reservation. The Native American boy Arnold is able to show toughness, courageousness and the capability to overcome obstacles, by illustrating comics and playing basketball. For Arnold, drawing comics and playing basketball is a way to build his character and self-esteem. Without the freedom in writing comics and the self-confidence builder in playing basketball, Arnold would act
The author, Sherman Alexie, is extremely effective through his use of ethos and ethical appeals. By sharing his own story of a sad, poor, indian boy, simply turning into something great. He establishes his authority and character to the audiences someone the reader can trust. “A little indian boy teaches himself to read at an early age and advances quickly…If he’d been anything but an Indian boy living in the reservations, he might have been called a prodigy.” Alexie mentions these two different ideas to show that he did have struggles and also to give the audience a chance to connect with his struggles and hopefully follow the same journey in becoming something great. By displaying his complications and struggles in life with stereotypical facts, Alexie is effective as the speaker because he has lived the live of the intended primary audience he is trying to encourage which would be young Indian
Imagine growing up in a society where a person is restricted to learn because of his or her ethnicity? This experience would be awful and very emotional for one to go through. Sherman Alexie and Fredrick Douglas are examples of prodigies who grew up in a less fortunate community. Both men experienced complications in similar and different ways; these experiences shaped them into men who wanted equal education for all. To begin, one should understand the writers background. Sherman Alexie wrote about his life as a young Spokane Indian boy and the life he experienced (page 15). He wrote to encourage people to step outside their comfort zone and be herd throughout education. Similar to Alexie’s life experience, Fredrick
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.
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.
Can you imagine growing up on a reservation full of people with no hope? The character Arnold in the book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie did. In the beginning of the book, Arnold was a hopeless Native American living on a hopeless reservation. In the middle of the book, Arnold leaves the reservation and finds out that his sister left too.
How White people assumed they were better than Indians and tried to bully a young boy under the US Reservation. Alexie was bullied by his classmates, teammates, and teachers since he was young because he was an Indian. Even though Alexie didn’t come from a good background, he found the right path and didn’t let his hands down. He had two ways to go to, either become a better, educated and strong person, either be like his brother Steven that was following a bad path, where Alexie chose to become a better and educated person. I believe that Alexie learned how to get stronger, and stand up for himself in the hard moments of his life by many struggles that he passed through. He overcame all his struggles and rose above them
“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.
The main character in this story is a Native American who lives on the streets of Spokane, Washington. The author has exaggerated all the stereotypes that exist of Native Americans in this story. He does this to show a point in the story; and if a person looks deeper into the story past the main plot, they will see the hidden meanings and signs that the author puts into the story. Some of the stereotypes that the author shows are homelessness, drinking, smoking, and gambling.
With the obstacles that happen to Junior, it creates an emotional and traumatic impact on Junior as well as getting the readers hooked to turn the page and keep reading. To begin, in “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” Sherman Alexie describes a moment in Junior's life before he went to the white school. From comparing the death rates and even mentioning the deaths, Alexie shows an emotional impact on Junior from the deaths he has to go through. Alexie writes about how Junior being an Indian has impacted his life.
Sherman Alexie grew up on a Spokane Indian reservation, in fact Junior and the story as a whole is based on his childhood; as he also struggled with the effects of poverty, alcoholism, identity, and social injustice. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is follows the life of Junior; a fourteen year old, Spokane Indian boy, who lives on an Indian reservation filled with poverty and addiction. The story begins when Junior decides transfer to a high school called “Reardan,” which is located outside the reservation in a rich white farm town. At first, Junior is a misfit at his new school; he has trouble making friends, mainly because he’s Indian. His transition to Reardan also causes a fight and other conflicts between him and his best friend, Rowdy, who feels betrayed by Junior. In fact, the whole reservation sees him as traitor.
Some people are so essential to making us who we are. People who encircle us play a big role directing our character change. They also impact us, affecting us for the rest of our lives. Throughout our lives, we are taught and influenced by many who have an enormous effect on the way we view events and problems. We might not even realize that they are the reason behind our changes. The women surrounding Grant and Jefferson in Ernest J. Gaines A Lesson Before Dying, are incentives in his eventual changes from doubts and bitterness. Tante Lou, Miss Emma, and Vivian even, if Grant doesn’t realize it, have a strong role helping Jefferson and pushing Grant to develop a relationship with him. Throughout Grant and Jefferson growing friendship brought by Tante Lou, Miss Emma, and Vivian, it showed Grant and Jefferson would never have contributed and changed the society they lived in.
Jackson is a Native American living on the streets in Seattle. He is alone and no matter how much effort he makes to form his own tribe-like community, he is always left with only himself. Jackson is feeling the pressure of society to fall into the role that many Natives are today. Society stereotypes Natives to be alcoholics that are very fickle with their money. Jackson is subconsciously allowing these social pressures to control his actions with his effort to obtain his grandmother's ceremonial blanket. The man that owns the pawn shop gives him money to put towards reaching his goal, but he quickly spends it on alcohol for him and his friends. This is an example of positive social pressure becoming negative because he feels the pressure to have a tribal community around him, and this causes him to ignore the goal and focus on others. While this may seem posi...
Alexie displays this characteristic when he writes about his family, “My mother still makes quilts. My wife and I sleep beneath one. My brother works for our tribal casino. One sister works for our bingo hall, while the other works in the tribal finance department...My father is an alcoholic (Alexie 24).” Alexie displays himself as a brother and son, instead of as warrior or brave. By doing so Alexie tells the reader that he is not only a Native American, but his is loved just liked anyone
Sherman talks about how families now of days do not have both parents. Many families in the Golden Valley have many families without both parents. How important family values are and how they are effective. That many families without both parents have lower family values and that they are unstable. Talks about how it effects the poor children and that they should not have to deal with it.