The Absolutely True Diary
of the Part-Time Indian
Summary
Meet the "Robinsons"
Junior/Arnold: Junior is the main character. He's the one who goes through a lot of bullying and pain. All he wants is to fit in. He sees life pretty negatively and is ashamed of his background and his home. As time passes, things begin to get better for him even though there are some tragedies along way, he gets to happiness. Junior wears glasses, has brown hair and eyes and has a swollen head due to his brain damage. He also has a lisp and stutters on words. He's very skinny due to not enough food and he has large hands and feet.
Rowdy: The best friend of Junior. Get's revenge on those who hurt Junior. Angry at the world. Afraid of change. Whether he admits or not, Rowdy never wants to hurt Junior, but sometimes can't control his anger.
Penelope: A sweet, bulimic girl that likes Junior and becomes his girlfriend. She's very caring about the world and gives to the poor. She's a little snobby at times but others a sweet girl. She helps Junior feel better at his new school and makes him popular.
Roger: Toughest guy at Juniors new school. He looks out for Junior. Helps him out on a date and gets him on the varsity basketball team. He helped Junior becoming confident in himself when he gave him a tough time.
Gordy: Junior's new bestie at his new school. Helps him out in school and gives him good life lessons on how to handle certain things. He's smart, bright, positive and sarcastic at times.
What's The Prob? How Was It Solved?
The conflict in this book is that Junior, or Arnold, feels that he doesn't belong. He is constantly picked on and bullied because he has a few brain damage problems that causes his lisp and stutter. His head, hands and feet are also swollen which causes more teasing and name calling. On page 21 of the book, the Anduss triplet brothers are picking on Junior at the powwow. In the text it says "The Andruss brothers laughed and walked away, Oh, by the way, did I mention that the Andruss triplets are thirty years old?" People in his reservation don't care about his health or safety that much, that men about twice his age and a few years more are beating him up. No wonder he wants to escape. The type of conflict in this book is character vs society and also character vs self. I think character vs self because even though the society is also putting him down and he's being bullied, he also thinks so negatively about himself and his background. He's ashamed and that also causes him to hurt himself, not physically but mentally.
Resolution
To fix his problem, Junior transfers to an all white school in Redan which is outside of his reservation. He meets new people and makes the varsity basketball team, where he proves to his old school that he isn't a airhead. He goes through a lot during his new school year but every step of the way, he pushes through. In the end he ends up in a good place and the bulling has stopped, he got what he wanted. A happy ending.
What's The Purpose??
Fav of them All
Book Review - Common Sense Media & Good Reads
After reading this book, 'The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian', I would give it five out of fie stars. The book was humorful, depressing and joyful all at the same time. There were moments where I cried or laughed until I felt sick. There were some inappropriate content in the book but not much and the way that it was used was humorful.
Common Sense Media-"Parents need to know that this National Book Award winner presents a powerful look at the life of Native Americans on reservation, and the struggles one teen faces in an effort to escape. There is some gritty material including swearing, racism, homophobia, references to masturbation, erections -and alcoholism is a major theme. Teens get in a number of fistfights and three people close to the main character die. Yet teen readers will get a lot from Junior's story: his sincere and sardonic voice is expressed not only in his writing but in his comics about his life, family, and friends. This device contributes a lightness to even the darkest moments, and allows Junior's anger and wit to come shining through" -Matt Berman
Good Reads-Bestselling author Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot. Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which is based on the author's own experiences, coupled with poignant drawings by Ellen Forney that reflect the character's art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he was destined to live. With a forward by Markus Zusak, interviews with Sherman Alexie and Ellen Forney, and four-color interior art throughout, this edition is perfect for fans and collectors alike.
Junior/Arnold
The 'Rez'
Sources
Works Cited
Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian. New York & Boston: Little,Brown and Company, n.d. Print.
Nemours. “Stuttering.” Kids Health. Nemours, n.d. Web. 13 May 2016. <http://kidshealth.org/en/kids/stuttering.html>.
“’Sherman Alexie Kid.” Google Images. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2016. <https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/UtjR25ydSjH2aO_As8CgCHIPNbJLfJZK66GH8m-DYpfazUg4TOXPcvspn4aImEayZw3r=s85>.
WebMD Network. “Brain Damadge: Learn ABout the Trauma from Brain Injuries.” MedicineNet.com. WebMD Network, 2004. Web. 13 May 2016. <http://www.medicinenet.com/brain_damage_symptoms_causes_treatment/article.htm>.