Racism is a disease ravaging the United States, and knowledge is the cure. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time by Sherman Alexie is a book about Arnold, a boy who lives on a Native American Reservation. Arnold does everything in his power to escape the depression and alcoholism that eventually grips all Native Americans on the reservation. Arnold’s journey to the world outside the rez leads him to Reardan High, an all-white school home to the Reardan Indians. The mascot is the stereotypical racist image of an Indian, complete with the headdress and face paint. The book uses relatable imagery to show the suffering of a smart young boy suffering from the affects of poverty and institutional racism. The institutional racism that affects Arnold is the result of years of
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It teaches kids about stereotypes, what they are, and why they are so negative. It teaches kids that “Poverty doesn't give you strength or teach you lessons about perseverance. No, poverty only teaches you how to be poor.” (12) It shows how your wealth and status don’t define who you are, and that with enough hard work, anybody can do or be anything. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian also shows how terribly treated the Native Americans were even as recent as the turn of the century.
"When I first started teaching here, that's what we did to the rowdy ones, you know? We beat them. That's how we were taught to teach you. We were supposed to kill the Indian to save the child."
"You killed Indians?"
"No, no, it's just a saying. I didn't literally kill Indians. We were supposed to make you give up being Indian. Your songs and stories and language and dancing. Everything. We weren't trying to kill Indian people. We were trying to kill Indian culture." (29)
The book shows how in danger the indian culture is, and that even the indians don’t think it’s worth
It teaches kids about stereotypes, what they are, and why they are so negative. It teaches kids that “Poverty doesn't give you strength or teach you lessons about perseverance. No, poverty only teaches you how to be poor.” (12) It shows how your wealth and status don’t define who you are, and that with enough hard work, anybody can do or be anything. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian also shows how terribly treated the Native Americans were even as recent as the turn of the century.
"When I first started teaching here, that's what we did to the rowdy ones, you know? We beat them. That's how we were taught to teach you. We were supposed to kill the Indian to save the child."
"You killed Indians?"
"No, no, it's just a saying. I didn't literally kill Indians. We were supposed to make you give up being Indian. Your songs and stories and language and dancing. Everything. We weren't trying to kill Indian people. We were trying to kill Indian culture." (29)
The book shows how in danger the indian culture is, and that even the indians don’t think it’s worth