The Absolutely True Diary of A Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie, focuses on the effects of colonialism on Native Americans, the pressures of assimilation historically and contemporarily, and cultural appropriation. Junior, a Spokane Indian teen who chooses to leave his reservation school, Wellpinit, attends a predominantly white school off-reservation called Reardan. While there, many of Junior’s friends and family die from alcohol related incidents. It is interesting that this occurs because these are the long term effects of colonialism not often addressed accurately in media. Historically, many native american people were forced to attend boarding schools, while Junior makes a choice to leave the alcohol, poorness, and sadness. Alexie,
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Americans forced them to become like them. It is like they lost everything. After reading a definition on the word grief, Junior thought to himself, "Well of course, man. We Indians have LOST EVERYTHING. We lost our native land, we lost our languages, we lost our songs and dances. We lost each other. We only know how to lose and be lost" (Alexie 173) The Americans stole Indian culture and they stole Indian everything. A paper entitled Kill the Indian Save the Man states, "There is clear evidence that past generations of Native Americans suffer significant effects of their history of trauma stemming from the loss of land and culture." (Altalta & Kraus) From all of this loss, Indians suffer from alcohol, death, and sadness. They suffer because they are missing something: There …show more content…
Sherman Alexie, the author of the book Part Time Indian, writes that “‘Son,’ Mr P said. ‘You’re going to find more and more hope the farther and farther you walk away from this sad, sad, sad, reservation.’” (43) The elderly Indian reservation teacher is saying that Junior, the main character of the book, has no chance of success if he lives on the reservation, so Junior leaves to find a different kind of life. Charles Eastman, rights about his experience finding hope: “I knew that if I went I should not return until I had accomplished my purpose.” (Eastman, 35) Charles Eastman, the Indian biography writer is saying that he can not stay on the reservation to live out his dreams, he has to go somewhere, and that place is a college far away from his reservation. Both Junior and Eastman start out with an underprivileged life, than get away from the drunk people, poorness, and sadness. They have to get away from the sad reservations and try to have a “normal”, successful
Americans forced them to become like them. It is like they lost everything. After reading a definition on the word grief, Junior thought to himself, "Well of course, man. We Indians have LOST EVERYTHING. We lost our native land, we lost our languages, we lost our songs and dances. We lost each other. We only know how to lose and be lost" (Alexie 173) The Americans stole Indian culture and they stole Indian everything. A paper entitled Kill the Indian Save the Man states, "There is clear evidence that past generations of Native Americans suffer significant effects of their history of trauma stemming from the loss of land and culture." (Altalta & Kraus) From all of this loss, Indians suffer from alcohol, death, and sadness. They suffer because they are missing something: There …show more content…
Sherman Alexie, the author of the book Part Time Indian, writes that “‘Son,’ Mr P said. ‘You’re going to find more and more hope the farther and farther you walk away from this sad, sad, sad, reservation.’” (43) The elderly Indian reservation teacher is saying that Junior, the main character of the book, has no chance of success if he lives on the reservation, so Junior leaves to find a different kind of life. Charles Eastman, rights about his experience finding hope: “I knew that if I went I should not return until I had accomplished my purpose.” (Eastman, 35) Charles Eastman, the Indian biography writer is saying that he can not stay on the reservation to live out his dreams, he has to go somewhere, and that place is a college far away from his reservation. Both Junior and Eastman start out with an underprivileged life, than get away from the drunk people, poorness, and sadness. They have to get away from the sad reservations and try to have a “normal”, successful