In the novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie one realises humans all need other people to help one change and grow; the characters Arnold and Roger demonstrate this by helping each other alter negative parts of themselves. Initially, Arnold is a hopeless, trapped in a perpetual stream of despair, demoralisation, and defeatedness. In a final attempt to escape the suffocating hold his society has on in him, he transfers to Reardan, a rich, white, racist school. Here, with the help of his new friends, teachers, coaches, and support from his family he changes into an inspired boy who realises that he can achieve greatness and reach his goals despite his status as a social pariah. …show more content…
And he drove me home plenty of other nights, too. If you let people into your life a little bit, they can be pretty damn amazing” (Alexie 129).These two quotes show the growth in Rogers behaviour and in his relationship with Arnold. He is no longer a racist, privileged, and prejudiced kid, instead he is tolerant, open to different people and ideas, and willing to burgeon into a kindhearted person. This growth only starts because reality(in the form of Arnold) punches him in the face. He saw that not only were his views racist and wrong, they would not allow him to integrate into the larger, less racist world outside his small community. When people are prejudiced their blind hatred isolates them and they need to meet someone of the group they hold preconceived notions against to realise they are wrong. One cannot be afraid to stand up to racist comments and prejudice, or else these negative beliefs will continue to thrive and grow in not only the racist person, but their friends, families, and people who look up to them. Evidently, to change and grow, one needs someone to give them a push to start their journey, whether this push is