Smoke Signals

Two of the five poorest of the United States’ 3,142 counties are located on Indian Reservations (U.S. Census Bureau, 2012). Sherman Alexie gives readers a glimpse into the life of a native american in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Through the main character, Arnold Spirit Jr., Alexie shows the reader what it is like to live in poverty on the Spokane Indian reservation. The book uses Arnold’s childhood experiences and alcohol to show the effects of poverty on Native American…

In the novel, Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie, Arnold “Junior” Spirit, the protagonist is different compared to all of the other Indians on the reservation. Arnold likes drawing, “I draw all the time. I draw cartoons of my mother and father; my sister and grandmother; my best friend, Rowdy; and everyone else on the rez.” (Alexie 5). He uses his unique art skills to communicate with the world. Arnold is surprisingly smart. Mostly all of the Indians did not meet…

We follow a 14 year old boy name Junior for about 1 year who was born with water on the brain, seizures, and a stuttering problem and see how his life on a Washington Reservation is full of poverty, alcoholism, and poor schooling. His life is also filled with a dedication to his family (sister Mary Spirit, Grandmother Spirit, and his father's best friend Eugene) other tribe members, and his best friend Rowdy. He becomes frustrated as he thinks having an old school text book his mother once used…

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian written by Sherman Alexie is a story about a teenage boy named Junior who is on a journey to figure out his true identity. The events that occur throughout the story describes the difficult experiences that junior faces in order to figure out where he fits in. As a teenager growing up Indian on the rez,Junior is constantly reminded of his misfortunes. He is desperate to make something of…

Every single person in our world are different in some sort of way and for that we the people can not judge them for their flaws because everyone has them. In the book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, The main character Arnold Spirit, goes through many hardships as he lives on the Indian reservation outside of Reardon, where he ends up going to highschool after he wasn't getting along with the people in the reservation. Arnold eventually realizes that if he…

In both “Reading Books Is Fundamental” written by Charles M. Blow and “Superman and Me” written by Sherman Alexie, they both talk about getting their first book as a kid. Both of these characters are similar and how they learned how to read. These text tell how each of them learned how to read. They also both encourage the reader to read books and enjoy them. Both Alexie and Blow enjoy books and think that they have a big impact on the world. “Reading Books Is Fundamental” written by Charles…

When you believe in yourself, you can do anything you set your mind to. In Sherman Alexie’s Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Arnold, the main character and narrator, takes basketball very seriously. Arnold lives on a Spokane Indian reservation in Washington, and once attended high school there. After a motivational conversation with one of his teachers, Arnold decides to transfer to Reardan, the all-white school 22 miles away from the rez with much higher education quality. His…

What you Pawn I Will Redeem, is a story that starts off showing a Native American by the name of Jackson Jackson who has been homeless for the last six years in Seattle. Jackson Jackson illustrates the struggle of being homeless alcoholic, an addiction that gets the best of him, who seems destined to fail on his journey to get his grandmothers regalia back in his family’s possession. The author, Sherman Alexie, uses Jackson Jackson’s character development and his internal conflict with…

This book, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, is about a boy name Junior also known as Arnold Spirit. He is a Native American that lives on an Indian reservation known as the Rez. Junior is a special person. People have impacted his life as well as he has impacted theirs. Relationships between people are an important part of life. The three people that have impacted junior’s life the most are Rowdy, Roger, and Gordy. Through most of Junior’s life Rowdy was his…

Sherman Alexie is an Native American writer, filmmaker, and poet who has wrote many short stories and even collected them into a one movie called “Smoke Signals”. Throughout the short story of “This is what it means to say Phoenix, Arizona” the character Thomas acts supportive as he helps Victor throughout the journey. Throughout the text Thomas is supportive and kind to Victor despite what happened in the past. Victor is in need of money and Thomas offers some of his own stating "I can lend…