The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a novel based on one character’s, Arnold’s, life of adversity. The Glass Castle is another great novel, very similar to ATDPTI, in which the main character, Jean, tells her life story of adventure and hardship. In addition to both books being attention grabbers, the characters that tell the story have very alike life styles. The novel ATDPTI shares many similarities, and characteristics with the novel, The Glass Castle, some of these include poverty, alcoholism, and different life struggles. Throughout the entire novel, ATDPTI, Arnold struggles through his life of poverty. Arnold is use to not having food on the dinner table every night and says that an empty refrigerator plus an empty
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Often times she would go days without having anything. Jean grew up everywhere, they never stayed in one place very long. Since they moved around so much, she never slept on a real bed, she only slept on a cardboard box (Walls 52). Once they did get a home of some sorts, there was always something to fix, and her parents could not afford to fix the problems. Both novels relate to each other in terms of poverty issues. In both novels, the characters’ fathers are alcoholics. In The Glass Castle Jean’s father comes home drunk and then abuses her mother. However, many nights they have to go out and try to find him, at some bar, to bring him home (Walls 182). Alcoholism in the story leads to special events often being ruined. One Christmas, Jean’s father came home drunk, and set their Christmas tree on fire and burned all of the gifts they had gotten one another (Walls 113-115). In ATDPTI the same ordeal happens. Rowdy’s, Arnold’s best friend, father comes home drunk, and abuses his wife, and him. Rowdy usually has a black eye, or a busted lip (Alexie 16). Whereas Arnold’s father just comes home drunk, or they have to go find him, and bring him home (Alexie 176). Alcoholism is a theme in both novels that the families have to deal …show more content…
When Jean started her new school in Welch, she was bullied and beaten up daily by a group of girls (Walls 138-144). As soon as they came to Welch, they lived with her father’s mother, who was a dirty, mean, old hag who hated kids. Pretty soon they were kicked out, so when they found a new house to live in it was downright awful. There was no running water, the floors were made of dirt, and there was no insulation so all their heat from the coal fire went right through the roof (Walls 136-139). Jean tried to make the best of what she had. One day, Jean found a ring and brought it to her mother so that they could go sell it to have some food, but the mother said no and kept the ring to replace her old one. Jean struggled yet another day without food. Jean said, “But Mom that ring could get us a lot of food” (Walls 186). Her Mother replied with, “That’s true but it could also improve my self-esteem. And at times like these, self-esteem is even more vital than food” (Walls 186). Jean was not happy at all with what her mother did. Each character has life struggles that are very comparable to one
Often times she would go days without having anything. Jean grew up everywhere, they never stayed in one place very long. Since they moved around so much, she never slept on a real bed, she only slept on a cardboard box (Walls 52). Once they did get a home of some sorts, there was always something to fix, and her parents could not afford to fix the problems. Both novels relate to each other in terms of poverty issues. In both novels, the characters’ fathers are alcoholics. In The Glass Castle Jean’s father comes home drunk and then abuses her mother. However, many nights they have to go out and try to find him, at some bar, to bring him home (Walls 182). Alcoholism in the story leads to special events often being ruined. One Christmas, Jean’s father came home drunk, and set their Christmas tree on fire and burned all of the gifts they had gotten one another (Walls 113-115). In ATDPTI the same ordeal happens. Rowdy’s, Arnold’s best friend, father comes home drunk, and abuses his wife, and him. Rowdy usually has a black eye, or a busted lip (Alexie 16). Whereas Arnold’s father just comes home drunk, or they have to go find him, and bring him home (Alexie 176). Alcoholism is a theme in both novels that the families have to deal …show more content…
When Jean started her new school in Welch, she was bullied and beaten up daily by a group of girls (Walls 138-144). As soon as they came to Welch, they lived with her father’s mother, who was a dirty, mean, old hag who hated kids. Pretty soon they were kicked out, so when they found a new house to live in it was downright awful. There was no running water, the floors were made of dirt, and there was no insulation so all their heat from the coal fire went right through the roof (Walls 136-139). Jean tried to make the best of what she had. One day, Jean found a ring and brought it to her mother so that they could go sell it to have some food, but the mother said no and kept the ring to replace her old one. Jean struggled yet another day without food. Jean said, “But Mom that ring could get us a lot of food” (Walls 186). Her Mother replied with, “That’s true but it could also improve my self-esteem. And at times like these, self-esteem is even more vital than food” (Walls 186). Jean was not happy at all with what her mother did. Each character has life struggles that are very comparable to one