Summary Of The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part Time Indian

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Part 1: In the process of reading and completing the book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian it became quite clear to me that me and Junior had similarities in our lives. Junior grew up in a household that didn’t have that much income. As readers we found that out early in the book. Some nights Junior wouldn’t have a meal to eat. When Oscar Juniors dog got sick the family didn’t have the money to pay for his medication so they had to shot their sons dog. As the book went on there was numerous more examples about the role poverty played in Juniors life. I myself grew up in a household that didn’t have that much income so I related to Juniors experiences. Growing up there were countless times where I would want new clothes, games, …show more content…

He lost his Grandmother Spirt, Eugene his dad’s best friend, and his older sister Mary. All of these deaths were in tragic fashions and came in a close time period. Grandmother Spirt was killed by a drunk driver her last words to her family were forgive the man that did this. Eugene was shot during an argument he had with his friend. Mary burned to death, her house caught fire and she was too drunk to wake up. These loses added up for junior and affected him heavily. I remember reading and saying to myself thank god I haven’t suffered any family loses yet. Let alone three in a close amount of time. If I was in Juniors shoes I don’t think I could have done the things he did with all the tragic losses he encountered. Part Two: As I read the book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian I connected with the book emotionally. This connection drove my interest for the book. From the beginning as readers we find out about Juniors disabilities. I have a cousin who is autistic, hearing or reading about kids growing up with disabilities is a sensitive topic for me. From the very first pages I wanted to see junior overcome his disabilities and do great things in life. Many times in our society we right off disable like their …show more content…

A key stereotype Junior faced was the generalization that Native Americans were stupid. An example is when Junior corrected his science teacher and he quickly assumed Junior was wrong. Until Gordy the smartest student at Reardon informed the teacher Junior was right and he was wrong. Native American youth also faced heavy discrimination. Schools that were opened on reservations were opened not to educate Natives but to weaken their cultural ties and better assimilate them in to dominate society. Junior and his classmates were using textbooks their parents used. Mr. P a geometry teacher on the reservation is the one who told junior to go to Reardon. He did this because he knew junior was a bright student. He also knew Junior wouldn’t amount to much if he stayed at the reservation

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