The Pain of Poverty
“Poverty doesn’t give you strength or teach you lessons about perseverance. No, poverty only teaches you how to be poor” (13). In Sherman Alexie’s novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, like many other Native Americans, Junior lives in poverty. Poverty has contributed to Junior not pursuing his dreams, him not having many chances or choices, and him having a poor education. However, Junior lives in poverty, he still manages to overcome the odds.
In the beginning of the book, Junior describes his life on the Spokane reservation. He tells the readers that, due to poverty, many of the Native Americans have poor land, health care, and education. Also, they’ve lived in these conditions all of their entire …show more content…
Because of poverty, Junior has been given poor education at Wellpinit High School. Junior found his mother name in his geometry book, which indicates that many of the books at Wellpinit are outdated and wouldn’t give Junior the best education. After that, he accidentally hits his Mr P in the nose with that same book. Mr P later explains to Junior that “‘You’re going to find more and more hope the farther and farther you walk away from this sad, sad, sad, reservation”’ (43). Mr P knows that if Junior stays on the reservation he will not have the chance to pursue his dreams. Junior leaves Wellpinit to go to Reardan. Attending Reardan gives Junior gives a better education than he would’ve received at Wellpinit. Junior also has a better chance of going to college and pursuing his dreams. Junior knows that Reardan seniors have are mostly to go to college after high school. Junior also realizes that all the senior on the Wellpinit Redskins don’t have the same privileges as the Reardan students.‘I realized that my team, the Reardan Indians, was Goliath. I mean, jeez, all of the seniors on our team were going to college” (195). This shows that a lot of the kids on the reservation are at a disadvantage. And that Junior would’ve had the same disadvantage if he has stayed at
“Poverty doesn’t give you strength or teach you lessons about perseverance. No, poverty only teaches you how to be poor” (13). In Sherman Alexie’s novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, like many other Native Americans, Junior lives in poverty. Poverty has contributed to Junior not pursuing his dreams, him not having many chances or choices, and him having a poor education. However, Junior lives in poverty, he still manages to overcome the odds.
In the beginning of the book, Junior describes his life on the Spokane reservation. He tells the readers that, due to poverty, many of the Native Americans have poor land, health care, and education. Also, they’ve lived in these conditions all of their entire …show more content…
Because of poverty, Junior has been given poor education at Wellpinit High School. Junior found his mother name in his geometry book, which indicates that many of the books at Wellpinit are outdated and wouldn’t give Junior the best education. After that, he accidentally hits his Mr P in the nose with that same book. Mr P later explains to Junior that “‘You’re going to find more and more hope the farther and farther you walk away from this sad, sad, sad, reservation”’ (43). Mr P knows that if Junior stays on the reservation he will not have the chance to pursue his dreams. Junior leaves Wellpinit to go to Reardan. Attending Reardan gives Junior gives a better education than he would’ve received at Wellpinit. Junior also has a better chance of going to college and pursuing his dreams. Junior knows that Reardan seniors have are mostly to go to college after high school. Junior also realizes that all the senior on the Wellpinit Redskins don’t have the same privileges as the Reardan students.‘I realized that my team, the Reardan Indians, was Goliath. I mean, jeez, all of the seniors on our team were going to college” (195). This shows that a lot of the kids on the reservation are at a disadvantage. And that Junior would’ve had the same disadvantage if he has stayed at