Absolutely True Diary Of A Half Indian Analysis

In the novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Arnold pretends to have more money then he actually does when he transfers to Reardan High. Arnold knows that lying isn’t good. He even said himself "lies have short shelf lives." When he lies about being poor, in a way he is embarrassed because everyone in Reardan has money and they’re privileged white people. Arnold also doesn’t want his friends to worry about him or treat him differently. Arnold has enough to worry about and he sure doesn’t want his friends pitying him or treating him like a poor person. When Arnold is at Reardan, he refers to himself as “half Indian” because he acts white by having money and getting these amazing privileges.
When Arnold first goes to Reardan, he’s very nervous and he thinks going to get beat up by everyone. He thinks everyone is better then him. He acts like he has money so he won’t get beat up or be embarrassed. Everyone else has money so Arnold thought he showed lie about having money. In the chapter “Dance, Dance, …show more content…
When he doesn’t have a ride, he just walks because he doesn’t want anyone to feel obligated to help him out. He doesn’t want his friends to pity him. He’s dealt with poverty and being poor all his life and nobody ever minded. He doesn’t want anyone to mind now. People wouldn’t treat him the same and that’s what he’s afraid of. Arnold loves all of his new friends and he’s one of the star players on the basketball team. He thinks that’s all going to change if they all find out that he is actually poor.
Arnold lies about being poor to fit in. He doesn’t want to be the odd one out. He thinks that everyone is going to beat him up or treat him differently. Arnold did what he thought he had to do to fit in at Reardon. But everyone still accepted him when they found out he was poor. Arnold needed to realize that everyone would accept him for who he is and not someone that he thinks everyone would