In the book, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Native American author Sherman Alexie writes about his life on the Spokane Washington Indian Reservation. The main character Arnold Spirit who liked to be called Junior portrays Alexie who grew up on an Indian Reservation. Junior struggled with his identity on a personal level, along with how others view him, and how all non-Indians picture Native Americans. Throughout Junior has added difficulty because Indians are surrounded by alcoholism, drugs, and poverty. Beyond question, Junior has significantly changed throughout the course of the novel through micro, meso, and macro identities.
Over the course of Part-Time Indian Junior has changed through micro identity, or how he views …show more content…
“Everybody in Reardan assumed we Spokane's made lots of money because we had a casino” (Alexie 119). During class, this is a major stereotype that non-Native American’s have about the reservations that operate these Indian casinos. The Spokane Indian Reservation casino is not profitable in any sense. On the night of the winter formal two of the closest white kids to Junior find out at the local Denny’s that his family is poor, and that everyone else on the Spokane reservation is poor as well. In the end, this changes Penelope and Roger’s view of the reservation about 22 miles away from Reardan. “I’d always been the lowest Indian on the reservation totempole. I wasn’t expected to be good so I wasn’t” (Alexie 180). This quotation shows a self-fulfilling prophecy about how the outside world views Indians. They are thought of as not being good at sports and Junior took that to heart and believed it. Until after Junior goes to Reardan and tries out for the varsity basketball team that his coach tells him he really is a great player. Subsequently, his new basketball coach remembers him and tells him that he is an amazing shooter, and Junior starts to play extremely well when he is not out with an injury. Junior and Indians are now viewed differently by outsiders than at the
Over the course of Part-Time Indian Junior has changed through micro identity, or how he views …show more content…
“Everybody in Reardan assumed we Spokane's made lots of money because we had a casino” (Alexie 119). During class, this is a major stereotype that non-Native American’s have about the reservations that operate these Indian casinos. The Spokane Indian Reservation casino is not profitable in any sense. On the night of the winter formal two of the closest white kids to Junior find out at the local Denny’s that his family is poor, and that everyone else on the Spokane reservation is poor as well. In the end, this changes Penelope and Roger’s view of the reservation about 22 miles away from Reardan. “I’d always been the lowest Indian on the reservation totempole. I wasn’t expected to be good so I wasn’t” (Alexie 180). This quotation shows a self-fulfilling prophecy about how the outside world views Indians. They are thought of as not being good at sports and Junior took that to heart and believed it. Until after Junior goes to Reardan and tries out for the varsity basketball team that his coach tells him he really is a great player. Subsequently, his new basketball coach remembers him and tells him that he is an amazing shooter, and Junior starts to play extremely well when he is not out with an injury. Junior and Indians are now viewed differently by outsiders than at the