The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
by Sherman Alexie
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Book Summary Information
Author: Sherman AlexieEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-09-12
ISBN: 0316013684
Number of pages: 240
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780316013680
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Book Review: Unhidden Truth
Summary: 5 Stars
Unhidden Truth
Sherman Alexie's novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a story that combines many issues that revolves around alcoholism and poverty. Society tends to hide these topics; however, Alexie announces them in his novel Even though there is a ban on this book, I believe that his novel should not be banned. This novel is an eye opener. Alexie has combined many problems that exist today and has incorporated these problems into the novel. Alexie makes us become aware to the fact that alcoholism and poverty still exist.
The main character is Arnold Junior Spirit, an Indian boy who lives on the Spokane Indian Reservation. This story tells the trials that Arnold goes through to create a future for himself. In order to achieve his goal, he decides to transfer to an all-white school, where he faces racism. His decision makes his fellow Indians despise him and is quote being a "traitor." Arnold must find success or be resigned into a life of alcoholism and poverty like his family and tribe. He soon learns that there is hope for him.
From the beginning of the story until the end, we have encountered the results that alcohol has on one. I believe that Alexie wanted to pin point the use of excessive alcohol by including the effects alcohol can have. Extreme alcohol consumption causes many deaths among adults and youth, it also contributes to death in automobile accidents. Not only does alcohol cause death, but it also influence one to be violent. As seen in the novel, "[Rowdy's] father is drinking hard and throwing hard punches, so Rowdy and his mother are always walking around with bruised and bloody faces" (16). Maltreatment towards a child or an adult caused by alcohol is still around, and Alexie pointed this out by including how Rowdy and his mother are treated by his alcoholic father. As the Marin Institute states, "An estimated 480,000 children are mistreated each year by a caretaker with alcohol problem." A parent's neglect towards their children can cause a long term effect on the child. Some of these effects includes: delinquency, bullying others, academic failure, etc.
The relationship between death and alcohol is another factor that was mentioned in the novel. In the novel, three people (Grandma, Arnold's Dad's best friend Eugene, and his sister Mary) who were close to Arnold died due to direct and indirect contact with alcohol. The deaths of Arnolds loved ones caused him to have no relationship with alcohol. Alexie revealed the truth of what alcohol could cause by including deaths. Gdcada.org announced that, "More than 100,000 U.S. deaths are caused by excessive alcohol consumption each year. Direct and indirect causes of death include drunk driving, cirrhosis of the liver, falls, cancer, and stroke." This statistic showed the effects of alcohol consumption. Arnold stated, "I'm fourteen years old and I've been to forty-two funerals," (199) this showed how many lives were taken away due to interactions with alcohol. The people on the reservation have flushed away all of their hopes and dreams and have depended on their alcohol. Arnold stated that on the reservation, "About 90 percent of the deaths have been because of alcohol" (200). I believe Alexie wanted to inform the world how alcoholism could destroy one's life. This, showed how easy people could be consume by alcohol and lose their life merely by over drinking. Young adults should read this novel because Alexie revealed the unhidden truth behind alcohol. This novel will make the readers be aware of how alcohol can control one's body and the effects alcohol can cause.
Poverty is another aspect which is mentioned very often in this novel. As mentioned before, the Indians who lived on the reservation have no dreams and hopes, which is mainly due to poverty. Poverty strips ones opportunity away from them. For example, if a child's parent has always been wealthy, they are most likely to gain a better education and future, compared to a child whose parents are poor. That child will learn to live in the shadow of their parent. They are unable to gain a higher education due to poverty. The child whose parent is wealthy will have a higher chance to succeed compare to the other child. Poverty is not something that has just recently become an issue; it has been around for ages and will still continue.
Younger readers should read this novel so they can experience the harsh truth of what poverty can do to someone. By including poverty in this novel, I believed that Alexie wanted us to realized how limited a person's opportunity is when they are poor. He also wanted to show the hardship that one goes through because of poverty. Alexie included the suffering that one goes through by making the reader experienced Arnold's struggle to get to and from school. As Arnold informed the readers, "Three times, I had to walk the whole way home [from school]. Twenty-two miles." (87) This is the difficulty that Arnold faces due to being poor.
Alexies incorporated poverty and alcoholism in this novel to make people realized that these issues still exists. We are unable to hide from the truth and must face reality. By not banning this novel, readers are able to comprehend the experiences that Arnold encountered with. This novel uncovered the effect of alcohol, and the state of being poor. Alexie brings these topics up to open our mind and makes us realize that alcoholism and poverty is still waiting at the door and will never vanish.
Summary of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
In his first book for young adults, bestselling author Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot. Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which is based on the author's own experiences, coupled with poignant drawings by acclaimed artist Ellen Forney, that reflect the character's art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he was destined to live.Native American Books
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