Response to the True Diary

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Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian was an excellent read, and a pleasant surprise to me. This was my first time cracking open this novel, the undeniable realness, and the raw truth between those two covers was baffling. So for starters I thoroughly enjoyed this story, it touched my soul and stimulated my mind.

This book took relatable to a whole new level. Alexie delves in to the topics (taboo or not) that all adolescents face, and in a way makes you feel as if he is reaching out to you. This is a very thought provoking novel, or at least I thought it was. It makes you reminisce on your adolescence and make connections between the novel and your own personal experiences. Some of these were heart wrenching to me, for example when he speaks on being an "outcast". He makes a point to speak to the discomfort of being alienated, which is something that people in general, not just adolescents face in day to day life. This is a time of chaos for most, so it was interesting to see the turmoil of alienation paralleled with this idea of hope. Hope is another theme that remained prevalent throughout the novel. Alexie emphasizes dreams and the strife for a better future. This is what most adolescents aim for. They have huge aspirations but are still in the molding stages of life, and he so accurately reflects this in his novel. I think it is a perfect fit for this novel to be categorized as a bildungsroman or coming of age novel.

Sherman's novel resonates with a universal audience, which is hard to come by these days. That being said I think that as a teacher this is an excellent novel to teach to kids of all ages. Exposure to the topics and ideas within this novel would be nothing but a healthy addition to a child's education. However because this novel is so raw, I feel as though the younger the student is the slimmer the chances are that the student will fully appreciate the novel and have true understanding of its value.

Comments

  1. UnknownSeptember 10, 2017 at 6:12 PM

    This was my first time reading the book as well, so I certainly understand how you felt when faced with the brutal honesty that Junior seems to wield throughout this novel. I think it is interesting that you brought up the idea that being alienated is something that everyone feels. I can see how you would think that, and would have to agree with you. We all feel like we stand alone in the world, much how Junior did when he first transferred. But we realize that we are not truly alone and that those around us actually are experiencing similar feelings, much how Junior realized that he was not truly alone and actually had people supporting him.

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