True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Sherman Alexie
Summary
This book the absolutely true diary of a part time Indian is perfect for a funny yet inspirational and meaningful book. In the book there is a boy named Arnold who has to jump some hurdles to achieve his dream. His dream is better education and living but he is in poverty at the moment "And sure sometimes my family misses a meal and sleep is the only thing we have for dinner. He is also challenged when he moves to a new school and looses lots of his friends specifically rowdy but luckily he gets new ones like gordy and Penelope.]\
Theme
In the book the theme or message got out of it was don't let people judge you be you for you and the book helped me view people differently. I concluded this because he talks about how much poverty he is in "you start believing you're poor because you're stupid and ugly".The author also emphasizes later in the book how when he revealed he was poor the white people had sympathy rather than hatred.
character Analysis
Arnold is a shy yet friendly freshman who goes to Rearden High School. He is part Indian And Part white so its hard for him to fit in in the Indian reservation where he lives. He is short with a disease that includes multiple seizures and brain damage called hydrocephalus.He has one sister and his parents he has a white mom and an Indian dad.Later in the book you will learn why the diversity of his family is so significant.
The rez
Spokane Indian reservation
Pow Wow
A pow wow is a social gathering held by many different native american communities
Arnold's brain disease
Hydrocephalus is when there is a lot of fluid inside the skull resulting in headaches and an enlarged head
Experience America’s Largest Powwow
click on the very bottom of video
Textual Evidence
- Poverty- This is very important because throughout the book it talks about how Arnold struggles with his poor living conditions and not eating dinner some nights.
- Grieving- Arnold lost his Sister,Close family friend, and his grandma.This is why The word Grieving is so important.
- Friends- Rowdy is Arnold's best friend and when He transfers schools Arnold Has no one to hang out with until they meet up again that summer.
Conflict and Resolution
Arnold has many predicaments like him hiding being poor and the many deaths in his family. I would consider these conflicts character vs society and character vs self because he has to deal with the mourning processes and hid where hes from and who he really is.
Book Reveiw
This book is full of jokes and meaningful events.I really like how the author Sherman Alexie uses certain situations in the book like Arnold's grandma dying to show how the other characters like his sister was there for him.The book also makes you look at people in the real world differently.So I give this book four stars.
Citations
- Gowder, Paul. Pow Wows Gallery. Digital image. Pow Wows. Powwows.com, 2016. Web. 12 May 2016. <http://photos.powwows.com/2016-gathering-of-nations-pow-wow-52/>.
- Spokane Indian Reservation. Digital image. Spokane Tribe of Indians. Spokane Tribe of Indians, 2016. Web. 12 May 2016. <http://www.spokanetribe.com/reservation>.
- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian. Digital image. Goodreads. Good Reads Inc, 12 Sept. 2007. Web. 12 May 2016. <http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/693208.The_Absolutely_True_Diary_of_a_Part_Time_Indian>.
- Alexie, Sherman, and Ellen Forney. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian. New York: Little, Brown, 2007. Print.
- Hydrocephalus. Digital image. Medicinenet. Medicinenet Inc, n.d. Web. 12 May 2016. <http://www.medicinenet.com/hydrocephalus/article.htm>.
- "Hydrocephalus: Read About Symptoms and Treatment." MedicineNet. Medicinenet Inc, n.d. Web. 12 May 2016. <http://www.medicinenet.com/hydrocephalus/article.htm>.
- "Experience America’s Largest Powwow." Youtube. Youtube, 26 Nov. 2015. Web. 13 May 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5j1Vt1impIE>.