A Part-Time Indian

Superior Essays
The book, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, is about a boy named Junior. He is a Native American that lives in an Indian reservation. Junior does not live the happiest life, in fact Junior is poor, however, his family and him gets along with what they do have. Junior does not really accept himself because he struggles with several medical issues, and he’s been beaten up by others his whole life. However, things start to look up for him when he transfers to an (American) school here he starts to not only make new friends, but most importantly learns to accept himself as a person. In this book, “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie, the main theme is about Junior finally accepting …show more content…
His first friend would be Penelope in the bathroom he found her barfing her guts out. He realized that she is Bulimic, and he begins to comfort her and they become friends. Junior said, “Everybody is absolutely shocked that Penelope chose me to be her new best friend,” (109). Majority are in shock because with Junior being a new student they did not expect her to become friends with him so fast, also her father is racist. Still, they manage to ignore all that and eventually begin to date. He also, becomes friend with Roger since Penelope and Roger are friends. When Junior made the school basketball team they began to become closer. Arnold also becomes friends with Gordy who is a geek. The both were “outcasts” so both understood what it felt like to be alone and not fit in. After making these new friends he is starting to fit in at the new school and is being accepted by others around …show more content…
Soon he makes friends and decides that white people are not bad and that you can be friends with them. While meeting these new people at the school he also, learns that it is ok to accept himself as the person he is because who he is, is okay and people will accept him. In Sherman Alexie’s article, “Why the Best Kids’ Books Are Written in Blood” he responds as to why he wrote his book and why some adults criticize his novel. In Alexie’s book he uses profanity language and racist slurs he even talks about domestic violence, drug abuse, racism, poverty, sexuality, and murder throughout telling his story; in which, all these things he talks about are not only problems he’s faced but, are everyday problems throughout the world and should be able to be talked about. However, adults are saying the book should be banned due to how the stuff in the book he talks about but what many fail to realize is that he’s talking about his life actual stuff that happened in his life how can you want to “hush” someone who is telling their life experience just because you do not agree with what is being said? His purpose for his book is to help people who struggle with situations in life out by telling what he did to cope with the problems he faced. Alexie states that “I write to give them weapons – in the form of the ideas- that will help them

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