The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 

Alexie, Sherman. 2007. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Ill. by Ellen Forney. New York: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 9780316013680

PLOT SUMMARY

Fourteen year-old Arnold Spirit (also known as Junior) has always been an outsider in the Spokane Indian reservation where he lives.  This coming of age stories chronicles Arnold’s quest to better himself.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Alexie provides a good introduction to life on a reservation to readers unfamiliar with the lifestyle.  Similar to other coming of age stories, Arnold does not fit in in his community.  He has always been bullied and only has one true friend, Rowdy.  When Arnold decides to switch schools to better himself, he is ostracized by the reservation’s community.  At his new school, Arnold is the only American Indian.  He is able, however, to carve himself a spot within the school’s social structure. 

Teenagers, especially boys, will be able to relate to the main character, Arnold.  Arnold is a realistic character and Alexie has succeeded in creating a likeable and authentic protagonist.  Because this story is written in the first person, readers will feel like they personally know Arnold.

The setting of this book is split between the reservation and the white school, Reardan.  In his descriptions of the reservation, Alexie provides enough detail that readers will understand the poverty that the residents are experiencing.  The opposite is true with Alexie’s descriptions of Reardan.  The most prevalent theme in this story is the theme of identity, as Arnold is trying to discover who he is as an individual, apart from his tribe.

At 229 pages, this is definitely a chapter book for older readers.  Despite the length, Forney’s illustrations are included every few pages.  The black and white cartoons are supposed to be drawn by Arnold and definitely supplement the story nicely.  The illustrations add information to the story, such as the description of the differences between whites and American Indians on p. 57.  The illustrations also add to the appeal of this book to male readers.  This novel would be a good suggestion for readers who typically read graphic novels.

Cultural information is integral to this story.  Alexie does not include many physical descriptions, but he excels at describing the reservation culture.  Most notably, Alexie informs readers about the widespread alcohol abuse among American Indians.  Throughout the story, Arnold mentions alcoholism like it is not a big deal.  This, combined with the frequency it is mentioned, makes readers understand how widespread and “normal” alcoholism is.  For example, after describing his friend’s parents, Arnold says that “My mother and father are drunks too, but they aren’t mean like that” (p. 16).  Later, Arnold says that “I only know, like, five Indians in our whole tribe who have never drunk alcohol” (p. 158).  Alexie succeeds at describing cultural differences between American Indians and whites, but he also does well in explaining how the two cultures are similar.  Arnold’s parents, like parents of other ethnicities, want better for their children than they had themselves:

“But it isn’t weird that my parents so quickly agreed with my plans.  They want a better life for my sister and me.  My sister is running away to get lost, but I am running away because I want to find something.  And my parents love me so much that they want to help me.  Yeah, Dad is a drunk and Mom is an ex-drunk, but they don’t want their kids to be drunks.”

Throughout this story, Alexie uses humor address some tough issues.  This is an entertaining read and effectively teaches readers about cultural intricacies.  Some of the topics may be mature for very young readers, but readers in grades 8 and up will be a perfect fit for this story.    

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Booklist: “Younger teens looking for the strength to lift themselves out of rough situations would do well to start here.”

School Library Journal: “The teen's determination to both improve himself and overcome poverty, despite the handicaps of birth, circumstances, and race, delivers a positive message in a low-key manner. Alexie's tale of self-discovery is a first purchase for all libraries.”

CONNECTIONS

In the following books, Alexie presents similar themes:

Sherman Alexie. War Dances. ISBN 9780802144898

Sherman Alexie. The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. ISBN 9780802141675 

Sherman Alexie. Face. ISBN 9781931236706