Diary of a Part-Time Indian Reflection

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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian was a great read. It was also an easy read that was very easy to follow along. I enjoyed the story and how it felt as though I was actually there watching Arnold's journey unfold right in front of me. I grew attached to Arnold at the very beginning of the story when his dad had to shoot his dog Oscar. This made it feel like I was there when he and Rowdy were hanging out, or when he was getting picked on, and also when he started at Reardan. I could feel the same emotions that he was feeling. I think that Sherman Alexie did a very good job on this novel even the illustrations were perfect for this story. I can see why it won an award. I think that Alexie did a very good job portraying an adolescent. I remember dealing with some of the same feelings that Arnold had to endure. I can relate to him especially with losing his grandmother so suddenly because that happened to me. I also related to him whenever he talked about basketball and feeling like he was going to puke before the game. If a teacher wanted to use this book in a classroom then I think that they would need to get permission from parents especially if they did not want any backlash. There are a few questions that I had about this novel: Why did he have to endure so much loss? Was that part of the seventy-eight percent that Alexie said was true? One of the major issues that I noticed in this novel is the racism that is portrayed from both the Indians and the whites. The Indians are still holding grudge against the whites for taking the land from their ancestors. The whites seem to not like the Indians just because their skin color does not match. Arnold even carried around at the beginning of the story that because he is Indian he doesn't deserve the same treatment or chances as the white kids. For example, "I didn't deserve to be there. I knew it; all those kids knew it. Indians don't deserve shit." This really stood out to me because I believe that every kid deserves a chance, especially if they are willing to put in the work.
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Comments

  1. Ally DunlapSeptember 7, 2019 at 11:10 AM

    Anna, I agree with you on how Sherman Alexie does such a good job of making it feel like we are there with Arnold during everything. With this being a young adult novel, I love how relatable it is. This book is a good book for students to read to let them know that they are not alone. One of the questions you asked was: Why did he have to endure so much loss? This was a question I also had during the book. Personally, I think that Alexie included these hardships in Arnold's life to show how Arnold would respond. Like other hard situations, Arnold was still optimistic. I think Arnold is a great character for students to look at as a role model because throughout the novel he never gives up. If you had to answer your own question, why do you think he had to endure so much loss?

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