Racism, stereotypes, and white privilege are all concepts that affect all of us whether we believe it or not. If an adolescent of a minority can distinguish these concepts in his society then we all should be aware of them. These concepts are all clearly demonstrated in “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian”. Anyone and everyone could clearly understand this novel but the intended audience is middle school to college level students. The novel’s goal is to help white students understand the effects of white privilege in an easier, more understandable way. Concepts are easier to understand when someone feels like they are connecting to someone they have things in common with, which is exactly what this novel does. I, for one, was always
He goes through the struggles of deciding who he wants to be and who he is. He lived on a reservation with his family and attended the school there. He decided one day the only way he would go anywhere in life was if he were to attend Reardan, an all-white school. Here, Junior was forced to find who he really was. Junior experienced more struggles and tragedies than any white student at this school. He had to fight through the isolation he first experienced to building up the courage to play in a basketball championship. I believe that every event Junior wrote about throughout the novel had an important purpose, and even more importantly, could be related to sociology. As I read the novel, I constantly thought about questions such as the following: What importance does he have to write about this? Could I relate this to my life? Who is Alexie’s audience? Could anyone read this novel and learn something from it? By the time I completed the novel, I could answer all of these questions without a
I can relate to this, not as far as race, but in a different way. At my school, there were stereotypes about the “volleyball girls”, and I was part of the volleyball team. At one point people thought this group of girls was all about partying and not school. Although, I was only focused on school and ended my high school career with only two B’s. Although this is not as an extreme case as Junior, I can still relate. In more of an extreme case, after Junior finally overcame his fear of leaving the reservation for a new and more positive life, he was not treated fairly. In the beginning of his experience at Reardan he writes, “After all, I was a reservation Indian, and no matter how geeky or weak I appeared to be, I was still a potential killer” (Alexie 2007:63). This is a perfect example of how easily people believe things they hear. Junior was literally a weak fifteen year old that could never hurt a fly, yet people looked at him as a killer because that was a stereotype about Indians. This idea goes along with Johnson’s thoughts of symbols, “symbols go far beyond labeling things” and “Symbols are also what we use to feel connected to a reality outside ourselves” (Johnson 2008: 36).
From beginning to end the reader is bombarded with all kinds of racism and discrimination described in horrific detail by the author. His move from Virginia to Indiana opened a door to endless threats of violence and ridicule directed towards him because of his racial background. For example, Williams encountered a form of racism known as modern racism as a student at Garfield Elementary School. He was up to win an academic achievement prize, yet had no way of actually winning the award because ?The prize did not go to Negroes. Just like in Louisville, there were things and places for whites only? (Williams, 126). This form of prejudice is known as modern racism because the prejudice surfaces in a subtle, safe and socially acceptable way that is easy to rationalize.
Peggy McIntosh wrote this article to identify how her white privilege effects her life. Each statement is written as a privilege that Ms. McIntosh does not need to consider or fear as a white woman. From financial credibility to national heritage, this article makes a valid point regarding the way white people can be arrogant and naïve when the same treatment is not being given to their neighbors, coworkers, and peers. There can be two responses when reading this. The first would be a person of color. They will appreciate the attempt at realization of what white people take for granted. The second would be the reality that smacks the white people in the face when they realize how true all 50 statements are. Once this begins to sink in, many will start to broaden their competence realizing the unfair treatment of the people in this world. Moving down the timeline, we can see how the acknowledgement can mend broken relationships. Owning the reality and doing something to change it can give the people of different races the treatment they deserve (McIntosh,
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.
During the course of the story, Junior and Rowdy both tackle the theme of identity. This is especially clear when Junior abandons him and leaves the reservation school to attend a predominately white school in a nearby town. In Alexie’s novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Rowdy is an aggressive character, but he uses this trait in a positive manner as he is also fiercely caring. This synthesis of positive and negative traits reveal that one's flaws can be good, and they allow for the separation and reunification of Rowdy and Junior in the novel.
This power keeps the behavior of the oppressed well within the set guidelines of the oppressor (Freire, 2000, pg. 47). Critical Race Theory outlines this system of oppression as it relates to white and non-white races. By using the critical race theory coupled with the system of oppression described by Freire (2000), I propose that within the system of oppression, the oppressor must keep its own members in line with the prescribed guidelines by reinforcing the social norms from birth. Freire (2000) suggest that the interest of the oppressors lie in “changing the consciousness of the oppressed not the system” (pg.34). Identifying as white, therefore, starts at birth when members of the white class work to reinforce social norms that began with our founding fathers at Plymouth Rock. This long history of white privilege was taught to me and I continue to teach it to my children. As an educator of white affluent high school students, I believe we provide college and career counseling based on this white privilege system of oppression as well. Here, I journey even closer to unraveling the myth of white privilege as I encounter the intersection of an affluent white student choosing a career after high
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...
White privilege is a term used to refer to societal privileges granted to people identified as white in western countries. These privileges are beyond what is experienced by non-white or people of color living under the same economic, political and social environments. These privileges could be obvious or less obvious that white people may not realize they have. These include cultural affirmations of one 's own worth, presumed greater social status, and the freedom to move, buy, work, play, and speak freely (McIntosh, 1990). The effects of these privileges can also be seen in personal, educational and professional contexts. In both Tim Wise’s, ‘White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son’ and Ta-Nehisi
The first of Junior’s problems is one he was bullied for since he was a young child. Junior was born with water on the brain, which caused him to have seizures. Not only was he born with brain damage but he was smaller than the rest of the reservation kids, and for this he was greatly picked bullied. The way Junior copes with this particular problem is by hiding from everyone on the reservation. In fact, when he’s at the white school, Reardan, he lets them bully him. Junior writes, “So, weak and poor and scared, I let them call me names while I tried to figure out what to do” (Alexie 64). Eventually
Junior experiences an internal struggle when he wishes to pursue a better education; this would mean leaving Wellpinit High School. He would be the first person to leave the reservation in this manner. Junior states that “Indian families stick together like Gorilla Glue, the strongest adhesive in the world.” His parents lived within two miles from their birthplace, and his grandmother lived one mile from where she was born - it’s uncommon to leave each other. Considering this information, Junior was in a difficult situation which ties into two themes presented in the novel: coming of age and identity. If he transferred to Reardan High School, it would be like abandoning his heritage and turning his back to his people. Whereas, if he remained on the reservation, he would face with limitations and unable to pursue his dreams. As a matter of fact, after the textbook incident with his teacher, he is not reprimanded but encouraged. Mr. P tells him that, “[He] must leave this reservation. All these kids have given up. We’re all defeated.” (Alexie 43) He expresses his disappointment with how reservation schools have failed to give the students a chance to follow their dreams. Junior’s older sister, Mary, had the potential to become an upcoming author but was not given the chance. She was a bright and shining star that faded out, and Junior could not follow the same
In the novel, “The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie, the main character, Junior is exposed to a number of traumatic events due to his problematic life. So far in the novel, Junior is seen as very frustrated by the continual cycle of poverty and his disabilities, yet he finds a way to contain his sorrow through the things he loves. However, complications still manage to find a way into his life on the reservation.
First, after listening to Mr. P’s advice of leaving Wellpinit for a better education and better future, Junior made the decision of going to Reardon to seek for the “hope”. However, as an Indian, leaving the reservation and go to a school that are full of white kids means that he has betrayed his tribe. Junior clearly knows clearly that if he betrays his tribe, the whole reservation’s people will turn their back on him even his best friends, but Junior wasn’t frightened about the consequences, he took the courageous act of leaving Wellpinit and his decision was proven right in the future. This marked a turning point in Junior’s life and the lights of the hope start to shine on Junior’s journey to success. Second, the first time Junior and Roger met wasn’t pleasant, Roger insulted Junior by nicknaming him the “Chief”, after 112 lost fight, Junior didn’t let the insult go, he chose to fight and go against the massive sports player, Roger. Roger was punched right in the face. As a freshman and newcomer in the
When he transferred to Reardan he immediately stood out from the others. " They stared at me, the Indian boy with the black eye and swollen nose, my going away gifts from rowdy. Those white kids couldn't believe their eyes. They stared at me Like I was Bigfoot or a UFO"( Alexie 56 ). He didn't have a single thing in common with the students at Reardan. Junior is an impoverished Indian, but that's not all there is to him. No one is a part of one group, differences are what make us people not robots. Junior came to a "huge realization", " I realized that, sure I was a Spokane Indian. I belonged to that tribe. But I also belonged to the tribe of American immigrants. And to the tribe of basketball players. And to the tribe of bookworms"( Alexie 217 ). At this point of the story Junior in resolving his inner conflict, by understanding that he can belong to more than one group. Which is a sign of growing up. Getting picked on is the norm for Junior. He said it himself, " Yep, I belong to the Black-eye-of-the-Month Club "(Alexie 4). In the Rez Junior is a nobody. He gets bullied by everyone there, including his "best friend" Rowdy. But Junior never defends himself because, the bullies are bigger and stronger. Junior was transferring from a tough community. Which automatically meant he was associated with criminals and tough guys. Junior knew what the students at Reardan
In the Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Sherman Alexie writes the story of Arnold Spirit, a Native American teenager. He is in a family who is not gifted with the things many Americans take for granted, such as a sustainable access to food, or a family that always cares for him. He has many negative experiences along his journey, changing to a different school and learning how to grieve with many deaths, but through all of it, stereotypes and assumptions about who he is make his life miserable. Throughout the story, Alexie uses Arnold’s experiences to showcase how stereotypes and preconceived notions of people and social groups can be a negative impact on lives.
Did you know that 29% of American people are in the lower income class? This is an astonishingly large amount of people, because this means that out of 326,474,013 people, 94,677,464 are in the lower class. In the book “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie, the author portrays people in rural america who are being negatively affected due to substandard income, and how the government is failing to aid these individuals. This is seen through individuals in rural America suffering from poor housing, transportation issues, and unemployment. In addition, the government could be helping in ways such as getting these people better housing, and sufficient jobs to make a living.
White privilege is a difficult topic, which can cause confusion and disagreement. It is simply an unearned advantage that white people were born with. This advantage is both minor and significant that white people hold in American society. Until now, people have difficulties to believe that white privilege exists and figure out how to end it. This essay will define white privilege by using the McIntosh’s article, Martin’s article and my relationship to white privilege.