TBTDOAPTI

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        Adolescent literature is where I feel at home in reading. I will not hide the fact that I am a big kid at heart. I do not think I could have picked a better book to start of the semester of Adolescent literatures. It shows us how tough some students have it. Although Alexis speaks a lot about taboo topics that some may feel it is too much for a teen to handle; I think that this is the kind of book that needs to be read. A book about overcoming life's real hard obstacles. Death, love, bullying, alcohol, and poverty. Working a lot with kids in poverty, both in the elementary are and middle school area I believe that this book will become a quick favorite since it is so relatable.

 As discussed in class this book has many great quotes that can be taken and be analyze and can be taught with a valuable lesson all in it self. Out of all the topics that this book touches on, not losing hope, is the one that  I find very relatable to my situation. I love how it seemed that everything that could go wrong in a young boys life did go wrong in Arnold's life. But aside from the loss of friends, being poor, and continuous death in his family there is one thing that he never seemed to lose, and that was hope. Like he mentioned during his grandmothers funeral, "When it comes to death, we know that laughter and tears are pretty much the same thing.". I can apply this in every area in my life and in a way I have. I am 28 years old and after 5 years of being away, I decided to try this college thing again. This time it is harder, I am married and have a three year old and one on the way. But I made a promise to myself that this time around I will finish with me walking that stage and finally finishing what I started a long time ago. I noticed that throughout this whole experience, I never lost hope of me accomplishing my dreams. As Alexie explains with detail how one feels when not pursuing ones dreams. He touches this topic when he speaks about Arnold's parents, and how they both had great potential but because they were poor and thought they did not have options, they settled. At the end of the day, settling only made them depressed, mad, and being content in many areas of their lives.

As a future middle school English teacher, I would love to be able to share this book with my students. As I mentioned above I think that it can teach a lot of life lessons. Not only that but with Alexie adding the drawings, this book easily catches the attention of any middle schooler who is not a  natural lover of books.

Comments

  1. JessSeptember 6, 2017 at 8:53 PM

    The Absolutely True Life of a Part-Time Indian touches my soul and has the potential to captivate any young reader. It is a coming of age novel, a story about adolescence, and passages of relevance for so many teens. Arnold is such an inspiring character and does not give up. Sherman teaches his readers what dedication and preservation can do. Everything is taken from Arnold. "So many Ghosts." He keeps going. Alexie covers so many major issues, but the one issue that others are derived from, is the effects of colonization. He shows us how one person can make such an impact. Tiny changes can produce big results, and Arnold influenced so many lives.
    I think Arnold makes his decision to go to Rearden after his conversation with Mr. P. A white man that was taught to, "Kill the Indian, to save the child. To kill Indian culture." tells him to leave the rez, because somewhere inside him he refused to give up. Another effect of colonization, to give up because of who you are. Arnold was different from the others. He hadn't given up. The other characters in the book represent the other paths Arnold could have chosen, all ending in a death involving alcohol. Alcohol was the depressant Indians used after being dehumanized.
    One of the biggest effects of colonization is the embedded hate for other people. The teaching of this hate. I mean the teaching of racism and hate. Penelope's dad embodies this. The teacher talking about the wood and Arnold's Tribe Embodies this, and Mr.P admits to it. Arnold goes through so much and conquers so much, but the most extravagant magnification thing he did was bring his classroom together. The same set of students who laughed and turned their nose up at him, all stood up for him. He made those kids unite. We are the UNITED states, we are a nation of variety. We are a beautiful melting pot full of beautiful people, but we let color of our skin, what's in our pockets, and our abilities define us and define what we think about others. They got to know him for the person he is and said no to discrimination and hate. Arnold teaches us how to love, have hope, and say yes to our lives.

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  2. UnknownSeptember 8, 2017 at 2:37 PM

    Yes girl, I feel so at home in this class too. I've been waiting on an English class with these types of books. I love how you pointed out the real life obstacles that are addressed in this book.So many children and teens are living in poverty, and Arnold is a inspiration to them. Arnold knows how they feel. The scene at prom and the pancake house really puts things in perspective.

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