Reflection of "Diary"

By -
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian was an enjoyable book for me to read. I really like sarcasm, so the dark humor stood out to me when Arnold was describing his situation on the reservation and comparing it to life outside of the reservation. One question I have been thinking about is what caused Arnold to gain so much confidence once he got to Reardan. We see this with how he talks to Penelope and basketball mainly, and he seems like a different person. I think it's because of the hope and opportunity that Reardan offers, but it seems like he is two different people once he leaves the reservation.

This book resonated with me personally, because I have often felt trapped in my own little town. I see the world as an opportunity, and there's a big part of me that wants to get out of Spartanburg and start over somewhere new. This isn't exactly comparable since Arnold still lives on the reservation, but seeing the courage it took for him to make a school change really connected with me. I think it takes courage to leave home, because sometimes you have to do what's best for you and not be totally concerned with what others think.

I completely agree with Alexie's views of adolescence here. I feel like it's a time when teens are trying to find out who they truly are, and there are pressures from different sources that affect them. Arnold knows that staying on the reservation isn't who he wants to be, but he has pressure from his tribe to stay there. This really fits into the development of self theory, when teens are exploring and trying to find themselves. He experiences self-doubt at times, and that's something I think teens also struggle with because of the confusion. The need to feel approval from peers is also a big factor, and we see how that positively affects Arnold when he is accepted by Roger, Penelope, and Gordy.

This book is specifically impactful for the Native American community, because Alexie doesn't paint the prettiest picture of reservation life. Through themes such as poverty and education, we see how Indians are often given second-class treatment. Isolation and loneliness aren't just specific to the Indian community, though. This is a problem that can be found in adolescence also.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Growing Pains - The Symbolism of the Tree in Speak

By -
I have felt the paralyzing pain of internal disease. The kind of trauma that causes your mouth to curl in and swallow you whole. I, like so many other women, are walking the halls in Melinda’s shoes in “Speak.” I thought Laurie Anderson did a phenomenal job of twisting all of the tribulations a high school girl goes through, into the tree that Melinda is. Whether we’re as strong as an oak or weak as a bush, we have all gone through the disease that strikes Melinda from the inside out. Melinda is like a half-dead tree. Some parts of her strive to blossom and create beauty. Other parts are broken and diseased. Like a dead tree, Melinda needs to save herself and “cut off the damage, [so it] is possible for the tree to grow again” (187). The symbolism of a tree is significant in “Speak.” Trees reflect her growing process. In the beginning, Melinda is a sick and lifeless tree. Her view is negative and dark. She’s so far past repair, bursts of sunlight do her no good. Sunlight would be pe
Read more

How Starr Goes from Acting to Embracing in The Hate U Give

By -
In The Hate U Give, Starr Carter is caught between two worlds. She lives in a predominantly black neighborhood, but her father sends her and her brothers to a private school where she is surrounded by white people. She talks about acting differently depending on what group she is around, which can create some identity problems. She says on page 11, "Funny how it works with white kids though. It's dope to be black until it's hard to be black." When at Williamson, she sees white kids that think it's cool to engage in black culture, but she knows they don't understand what she goes through in her Garden Heights community. She witnessed her friend Natasha's death when she was 10 years old, and she sees gang activity in her community all the time. When she is among her black friends, like at the party, they tease her for hanging out with the white kids. This reminds me of a Drake song where he says, "I used to get teased for being black, and now I'm
Read more

Postmodernism in Curious Incident

By -
Before I start writing, I first want to acknowledge that I just really loved this book! It seemed like a lot of the class had trouble enjoying or appreciating the novel because it's so different stylistically, which is understandable, but all of those unique elements helped make the novel more authentic. The main topic I want to focus on (also what I'm writing my paper on) is how a lot of postmodernist elements were used in the novel to make Christopher come to life. While obviously not every postmodern novel is about an autistic kid, I think Haddon really used a lot of these elements to his advantage and they ended up working out really well to characterize Christopher. One of the major postmodern elements which helps this book really craft an authentic portrayal of autism is the fact that it's metafictive. Basically, this means it's a "story within a story." Readers would be extremely limited just reading the parts of the novel which are meant to be C
Read more