INTRODUCTION -
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THESIS - When evaluating Arnold “Junior” Spirit from Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and Jin Wang from Gene Luen Yang’s American Born Chinese, similarities radiate in both characters as their disparity in race deem the two of them as outcasts in the entirety of society. In addition to their lack of social interactions, their uniformity in their impulsive decisions cost them each a dear friend. Although Junior and Jin are quite similar, they share differences in the way Junior tries bettering himself by fitting into both his Indian and Reardan culture whereas Jin changes himself in every possible way to become Americanized.
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The correspondence between Junior and Jin is detected in both novels …show more content…
The only other Indian there was the school mascot, leaving Junior confused and more alone than ever. Back in the rez, he knew all the rules. He was aware of the name calling, the mockery, and the need for self defense. Junior was comfortable with this familiarity, but when he punches Roger for teasing him, uncertainty fills Junior’s mind when he doesn’t fight back. Watching Roger and his friends walk away, Junior realizes, “I felt like somebody had shoved me into a rocket ship and blasted me to a new planet. I was a freaky alien and there was absolutely no way to get home” (Alexie 66). After relocating to Reardan high school, Junior couldn’t help feeling like an outsider. With a different skin tone, a unique name, and a slight accent to his lanky frame, it was hard for him to fit in. In comparison, Jin strains to identify who he really is with the remarks of his classmates swirling inside his head. In Yang’s graphic novel American Born Chinese, Jin struggles immensely after moving from San Francisco. A world once filled with Asian friends and neighbors crashes harshly as Jin is left stranded …show more content…
Floating inside the depths of his new school, Junior tries balancing both cultures. He attends the Powwow, all the while knowing he’d be punished because of it; he joins the Reardan boys’ basketball team, dreaming up a bigger and better life for himself. He tried keeping everyone satisfied, but after a while, he realized that wasn’t possible. Stuck in desolation, Junior explains, “Traveling between Reardan and Wellpinit, between the little white town and the reservation, I always felt like a stranger. I was half Indian in one place and half white in the other. It was like being Indian was my job, but it was only a part-time job. And it didn 't pay well at all.” (Alexie 118). Even as Junior stays true to himself, he still feels like a foreigner in either place he goes. He’s dedicated, and wishes to feel accepted by his neighbors and his school mates. Though this isn’t exactly working in his favor, Junior still continues to carry on the lifestyle he chose; he continues to go to Reardan without forgetting his Indian culture. Unlike Junior’s plans on stabilizing his two lives, Jin chooses to maintain his focus on ways in which he can become white; or at least, as white as he can be. Writer Gene Luen Yang makes this obvious in American Born Chinese by altering Jin Wang’s introspections. On a bright, sunny afternoon, thoughts of
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THESIS - When evaluating Arnold “Junior” Spirit from Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and Jin Wang from Gene Luen Yang’s American Born Chinese, similarities radiate in both characters as their disparity in race deem the two of them as outcasts in the entirety of society. In addition to their lack of social interactions, their uniformity in their impulsive decisions cost them each a dear friend. Although Junior and Jin are quite similar, they share differences in the way Junior tries bettering himself by fitting into both his Indian and Reardan culture whereas Jin changes himself in every possible way to become Americanized.
***
The correspondence between Junior and Jin is detected in both novels …show more content…
The only other Indian there was the school mascot, leaving Junior confused and more alone than ever. Back in the rez, he knew all the rules. He was aware of the name calling, the mockery, and the need for self defense. Junior was comfortable with this familiarity, but when he punches Roger for teasing him, uncertainty fills Junior’s mind when he doesn’t fight back. Watching Roger and his friends walk away, Junior realizes, “I felt like somebody had shoved me into a rocket ship and blasted me to a new planet. I was a freaky alien and there was absolutely no way to get home” (Alexie 66). After relocating to Reardan high school, Junior couldn’t help feeling like an outsider. With a different skin tone, a unique name, and a slight accent to his lanky frame, it was hard for him to fit in. In comparison, Jin strains to identify who he really is with the remarks of his classmates swirling inside his head. In Yang’s graphic novel American Born Chinese, Jin struggles immensely after moving from San Francisco. A world once filled with Asian friends and neighbors crashes harshly as Jin is left stranded …show more content…
Floating inside the depths of his new school, Junior tries balancing both cultures. He attends the Powwow, all the while knowing he’d be punished because of it; he joins the Reardan boys’ basketball team, dreaming up a bigger and better life for himself. He tried keeping everyone satisfied, but after a while, he realized that wasn’t possible. Stuck in desolation, Junior explains, “Traveling between Reardan and Wellpinit, between the little white town and the reservation, I always felt like a stranger. I was half Indian in one place and half white in the other. It was like being Indian was my job, but it was only a part-time job. And it didn 't pay well at all.” (Alexie 118). Even as Junior stays true to himself, he still feels like a foreigner in either place he goes. He’s dedicated, and wishes to feel accepted by his neighbors and his school mates. Though this isn’t exactly working in his favor, Junior still continues to carry on the lifestyle he chose; he continues to go to Reardan without forgetting his Indian culture. Unlike Junior’s plans on stabilizing his two lives, Jin chooses to maintain his focus on ways in which he can become white; or at least, as white as he can be. Writer Gene Luen Yang makes this obvious in American Born Chinese by altering Jin Wang’s introspections. On a bright, sunny afternoon, thoughts of