A Native American boy is born on the Spokane Indian Reservation in 1993. His parents, siblings, grandparents, and cousins are alcoholics. Almost every person who lives on his reservation is an alcoholic. The boy’s family is very poor. Poverty plagues most people who live on the reservation. Many times throughout his life, the boy goes days without eating. He becomes an alcoholic by the time he is 18. On his 25th birthday, he is in a car accident. He was drinking while driving. He hit the other car head on, and was killed instantly. Is this story likely to happen to someone who lives on a Native American Reservation? Based on Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, it is.
In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time …show more content…
Arnold is a Spokane Indian who lives on the Spokane Indian Reservation (Alexie 4). After being confronted by his geometry teacher, Mr. P, Arnold decides to leave his reservation school to search for hope (Alexie 45). He finds hope a Reardan High School (Alexie 45). Reardan High School is exactly 22 miles away from Arnold’s reservation (Alexie 45). This makes it very difficult for Arnold to and from Reardan. Arnold’s family is poor and often do not have the money to get him to and from school (Alexie 87). While at Reardan High School, Arnold suffers ridicule from people from his reservation because he left, the students and teachers at Reardan High School ignore him because he is a Native American, and three important people in his life die (Alexie 158). Although Arnold is tempted to give up many times, he never stops his search for hope (Alexie 176). Eventually Arnold is accepted at both Reardan High School and the Spokane Indian Reservation. He ends his first year of high school at Reardan with success (Alexie 214). He also reunites with his best friend, Rowdy (Alexie 230). Given Arnold’s life story, the theme to The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is to never lose
In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time …show more content…
Arnold is a Spokane Indian who lives on the Spokane Indian Reservation (Alexie 4). After being confronted by his geometry teacher, Mr. P, Arnold decides to leave his reservation school to search for hope (Alexie 45). He finds hope a Reardan High School (Alexie 45). Reardan High School is exactly 22 miles away from Arnold’s reservation (Alexie 45). This makes it very difficult for Arnold to and from Reardan. Arnold’s family is poor and often do not have the money to get him to and from school (Alexie 87). While at Reardan High School, Arnold suffers ridicule from people from his reservation because he left, the students and teachers at Reardan High School ignore him because he is a Native American, and three important people in his life die (Alexie 158). Although Arnold is tempted to give up many times, he never stops his search for hope (Alexie 176). Eventually Arnold is accepted at both Reardan High School and the Spokane Indian Reservation. He ends his first year of high school at Reardan with success (Alexie 214). He also reunites with his best friend, Rowdy (Alexie 230). Given Arnold’s life story, the theme to The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is to never lose