The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

by Sherman Alexie

Reviewed by Kavya Iyer

Fall 2016

REVIEW: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

ISBN#: 9780316013680

THE STORY:

Junior is a freshman in high school growing up on a Spokane Indian reservation, living with his parents and older sister. He was born with a variety of medical problems, and has been picked on by other kids all his life. His best friend is a dog named Oscar and his other close friend is the tough kid, named Rowdy. He is one of the few on the reservation that is excited to learn, but is frustrated with the old materials at his school.
Determined to receive a good education, he makes the difficult decisions to leave everything he knows to attend an all white school in the neighboring farm town. His decision causes, his own people now consider him a traitor, and people at his new school treat him badly because of his race and color. He also loses his only human friend on the reservation, Rowdy. However, Junior doesn’t give up, and eventually makes friends at his new school. He realizes the importance of good friends and the difference that they can make in his life. Junior attacks his hardships and perseveres with a strength inside of him that he never knew existed. He realizes that though they may not be obvious, there are many good things in his life to be grateful and happy for. Junior finds a way out of the pit of bad things surrounding him, and climbs to the top of the mountain of success, rising above the life that everyone expects him to live. (251)

MY OPINION:

When I first opened this book, I was surprised, and wasn’t sure if I would enjoy it, since it talked about things that aren’t typically discussed in public. However, as I continued to read on, I realized that the language used helps give the reader a better image of the setting, and it helps the reader picture the environment of the Spokane reservation that the main character, Junior is growing up in. The people around him aren’t good examples to young children, since most of them are alcoholics, and aren’t educated. The story also provides insight into what it is like to live in areas that aren’t as privileged as where I live. Junior has to put up with a lot of bullying in school, because of his race and skin color. However, he is also bullied a lot by his own people in his home, because of all the medical problems that he was born with. Despite all of this, he still has the drive to succeed, and be a better example to other kids. This is very inspiring to me. I enjoyed this story, but there were a few parts that I found boring, and my attention drifted from the story. I learned a lot from this book, and feel that there is even more that I can get out of it if I read it again. (229)

STUDY QUESTIONS AND VOCABULARY:

FIRST SECTION

1. Who is Junior’s best friend?

1a. Junior’s best friend is his dog named Oscar. (pg. 9)

2. Who is Junior’s sister and what did she want to do when she got older?

2a. Junior’s sister is Mary “Runs Away”. She wants to write romance novels. (pg. 26, pg. 40)

3. Who is Mr. P and why did Junior throw a textbook at him?

3a. Mr. P is one of Junior’s teachers. Junior threw a textbook at him because at him because he was frustrated that he was so poor, and was using the same book that his mother had used when he was in school. He didn’t mean to hit Mr. P. (pg. 34)

4. Why did Rowdy get mad?

4a. Because Junior told him that he was going to school outside the reservation and going to Reardan instead. (pg. 52)

5. Why is Junior confused about what happened after he punched Roger?

5a. He is confused because Roger didn’t fight back like most Indians on the reservation would have done. Junior realizes that in this new society, fighting isn’t good. (pg. 65-66)

ambidextrous (pg. 26)

rez (pg. 42)

mutilated (pg. 55)

jocks (pg. 63)

powwow (pg. 74)

MIDDLE SECTION

6. How does Junior get back from school?

6a. He would ride the bus to the end of the line and wait for his parents. If they don’t come pick him up, he either walks or hitchhikes with someone heading back. (pg. 87)

7. Why was Junior’s family so surprised that his sister ran away?

7a. They are surprised because she hadn’t gone anywhere except the basement in the last couple of years. (pg. 91)

8. What does Junior’s dad say when Junior asks him why they should celebrate Thanksgiving?

8a. Junior’s dad tells him that they celebrate Thanksgiving because they should give thanks that the Pilgrims didn’t kill all the Indians. (pg. 102)

9. How does Junior suddenly become more popular?

9a. He becomes popular because Penelope becomes his friend, and they began to date, which surprised everyone because Penelope is very popular, unlike Junior. (pg. 110 )

10. What is Penelope’s reaction to finding out that Junior is poor? What happens because of it?

10a. Penelope is very sad, and feels bad for him. However, she tells Roger, so instead of Junior having to walk or hitchhike home, Roger starts driving him home. Junior is amazed at the kindness, and sees the positives of letting his friends into his life. (pg. 127)

articulate (pg. 84)

petrified (pg. 86)

delirious (pg. 91)

bucking (pg. 94)

secede (pg. 101)

                               

LAST SECTION

11.What did Junior describe as a “beautiful and ugly thing”?

11a. He described the five dollars that his dad saved for Junior’s Christmas present instead of spending it on alcohol as a “beautiful and ugly thing”. When he was drunk, it would have been very hard to keep himself from spending it on more alcohol, but he was able to control himself so that he could give Junior a present. (pg. 151)

12. What does Junior think of his parents?

12a. He is grateful for them, and sees their parenting skills. They may not be perfect, and his dad may be an alcoholic, but they still care about him. They also never ignore him, and always listen to him. Junior believes that the worst thing a parent can do it ignore their child.  (pg. 153)

13. What was Grandmother Spirit’s last act on Earth?

13a. Grandmother Spirit’s last act on Earth was to tell her family to forgive the drunk driver that ran her over. Junior believes that his family would have gladly beaten the man up, but they didn’t since Grandmother wanted them to forgive him. (pg. 157)

14. Why did Junior laugh when his dad came to pick him up from school after his sister’s death?

14a. He laughs because he was worried that his dad would die on his way to pick him up because of the icy roads. When his dad did show up, he was so relieved that he started laughing. (pg. 204)

15. Why does Rowdy say that Junior killed his own sister?

15a. Rowdy says that Junior killed his own sister because Rowdy believes that Junior’s sister had only gotten married and left so fast because Junior had left first. That she had only moved to Montana and lived in a cheap trailer house that went up in flames because Junior went to Reardan. Rowdy believes that if Mary had never left, she would still be alive, so her death was Junior’s fault. (pg. 211)

eccentricity (pg.155)

glorious (pg. 166)

distraught (pg. 173)

egomaniac (pg. 182)

homophobic (pg. 197)