Keyona Davis

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I think that The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian was a book that brought about many controversial issues. My overall reaction to the story is probably just the word wow. I’m amazed in the way the voice of the author, Sherman Alexie, was so relatable to what the voice of a 14 year old would actually probably be like. I feel as though he did a good job of putting his mindset into a preteen to tell the story. I also found the pictures hilarious because it’s always kind of nice to venture away from just the words on pages and see nice pictures! I didn’t have any problems reading the text because it was very straight forward and to the point. However there is a question that I had while reading. On page 165 when Grandma Spirit’s funeral is being held, and the random billionaire, Ted, comes along and gives his speech on how he had a powwow dance outfit that belonged to grandma, why is it that once Ted was told the outfit didn’t belong to Grandma Spirit, he just packed his suitcase and left?

            Overall, I would have to say that Alexie did a good job at portraying adolescence. I feel as though he pinpointed issues that many YA readers go through as far as being unhappy with the life they currently live, wanting to place the blame of everything that’s happening in their lives on someone else, struggling to fit in and find out who they really are, gaining and losing friendships, and even just learning how to be happy and make the best of what they’ve got. On page 11 when Junior says, “Dad just looked down at me with the saddest look in his eyes. He was crying. He looked weak. I wanted to hate him for his weakness. I wanted to hate Dad and Mom for our poverty. I wanted to blame them for my sick dog and for all the other sickness in the world”, I feel as though this brings light to an issue in adolescence with kids who aren’t happy with their lives. I feel that in society many teens who grow up in families that aren’t wealthy tend to feel this same way about their parents, and are quick to point a finger to blame it on. I think that some teens use poverty as motivation, and others use it as a burden.

Comments

  1. UnknownAugust 30, 2016 at 4:48 PM

    I agree with you when you said you were amazed by Alexie's ability to relate to a 14 year old boy; therefore, because of that it made me question whether or not the novel was a true story. I also liked the pictures as well, it kept me interested while reading.

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  2. UnknownAugust 31, 2016 at 7:34 PM

    Yes! This book screams teenage boy, and that is one of the reasons why it is so relatable. I too am curious as to why Ted left once he was shut down! Absolutely agree with your last sentence! And Arnold definitely uses his poverty as motivation rather than a crutch.

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