Absolutely True Diary

The book I chose to read this week is The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. I was hooked from the beginning; finding it an interesting and entertaining read. Not knowing anything about it at the start, I was surprised by a number of elements. I knew it was going to be about a Native American, but I wasn’t expecting there to be any illustrations. They reminded me of a more mature version of the illustrations in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series; I liked Forney’s style even more so. I was also surprised when Arnold reveals his disability; I assumed he was going to be born under normal circumstances. The story definitely brings aspects of identity building, relationships to peers, and relationships to adults to the table; but …show more content…
The stereotype of Indian alcoholism and poverty survives among namely Arnold’s father, his sister, and his father’s friend Eugene. Eugene’s and Mary’s death as a product of addiction serves to reinforce the anti-alcohol attitude Arnold has; which definitely rubbed off on me as I was reading. I have an addictive personality and have been addicted to unhealthy things in the past, so I felt empowered by Arnold’s stance. I found Mary’s death to be especially bitter, as they were just starting to develop a sort of bond. I have a younger sister, and growing up we were never really that close. In recent years, we have become much closer and it makes me so happy to find things that we can connect on. I can’t imagine what it would be like to lose her, especially now; so Mary’s abrupt death left me with a lasting impression. The alienation between his reservation and Reardan life is another hardship that made me realize how good I have/had it. I’ve only ever felt like the outcast in the school setting, home was always a sanctuary. For Arnold, being a pariah at both home and school made it seem like there was no hope or escape. The fact that he never really knew how he was going to get to and from school adds to