Book Club Poster
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Summary
The absolutely true diary of a part time Indian is a story about Arnold Spirit Junior, an Indian boy who has grown up on an Indian reservation Junior goes to a school on the reservation where people do not expect him to amount to much. After realizing that the reservation is holding him back he decides to leave the reservation school to attend a school called Reardan, a superior school to the one he currently attends and is left feeling like only a part-time Indian. After that he struggles to make new friends since his old friends now hate him. After many tragedies befall him Junior makes peace with his new and old friends and he is able to look towards the future with a positive attitude.
Arnold Spirit Junior
Arnold Spirit is filled with many quirks including severe birth defects and brain damage. Arnold faces many hardships on his journey and he is ultimately able to rise above these hardships with the support of friends and loved ones. Arnold leaves his old school and is called a traitor, after meeting new friends he gains confidence and the ability to fight through his problems. Arnold is able to learn that he doesn't need to listen to what others think of him and eventually he is able to make friends with those who even bullied him. In conclusion Arnold throughout the story gained much needed confidence and support that what he was doing was the right thing.
Theme
The overall theme of the book is that overcoming obstacles is a journey that many people do not want to risk taking, but taking that journey has some of the greatest rewards anyone could ever imagine. During the course of the book, Arnold sees his family fail because they did not take the risk, Arnold decides that he needs to be the change and he goes to another school to find a better life than he was destined to have. After setting out on his journey he faced many hardships but he was able to see that in the end he would have the reward of a better life, which to many is the ultimate prize.
Conflict and Resolution
The conflict in my story is a character vs society, throughout the book Arnold is ridiculed for having several birth defects and handicaps, he is also Native american and for both of these reasons he is made fun of and bullied. After trying to find a better life for himself, his former friends see him as a traitor and also begin to assault him. Arnold is able to make several friends that support him and it is through these people that he is able to overcome bullying and he is even able to make friends with his former tormentors. One quote that shows this is on page 230, and it says, “I would always love and miss my reservation and my tribe. I hoped and prayed that they would someday forgive me for leaving them.” This quote shows how while they may have partially forgiven him, they still have resent for him and he hopes to once again make amends with them.
Ways to Stop Bullying
Rating
I would give my book a rating of 5 stars. The reason I would give the book such high regard is because it was very funny, and it had a very good message to it. In the book Arnold is constantly making jokes about even the most dire of situations, from the death of his grandmother to severe brain damage, Arnold always finds the best in every situation. The book also has a great theme about bullying and overcoming huge obstacles. The Absolutely True Diary of a part-time Indian is a great story about some very somber topics and how to overcome them.
Textual Evidence
One of the most powerful sections in the book is on Arnold’s first day of school where his father drives him to school. Some of the words that jump out are “I felt stronger” and “Your so Brave.” My favorite quote from the is section is “You can’t just betray your tribe and change your mind ten minutes later. I was on a one way bridge. There was no way to turn around even if I wanted to.” This quote shows how Arnold has put himself in a situation that he can no longer escape. This means that from now on he must live with every decision he makes.
Works Cited
"The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Paperback – April 1, 2009." The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian: Sherman Alexie, Ellen Forney: 8601401248767: Amazon.com: Books. Web. 06 May 2016.
Alexie, Sherman, and Ellen Forney. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian. New York: Little, Brown, 2007. Print.
"Home | StopBullying.gov." Home | StopBullying.gov. Web. 06 May 2016.
"Overcoming Obstacles to Success - Erwin Ensing's Blog." Erwin Ensings Blog. 04 Nov. 2015. Web. 06 May 2016.
Shmoop Editorial Team. "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Summary." Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 06 May 2016.
"Welcome to My Genius Kid - A Reservoir of Knowledge and Resources to Enhance the Learning & Development of Students Enrolled in Genius Kids Centers." Welcome to My Genius Kid - A Reservoir of Knowledge and Resources to Enhance the Learning & Development of Students Enrolled in Genius Kids Centers. Web. 06 May 2016.
Watchwellcast. "Ways to Stop Bullying." YouTube. YouTube, 15 Jan. 2013. Web. 05 May 2016.