Part-Time Indian, Full-Time Crisis

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Whilst reading The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian , I thoroughly enjoyed this book. As a teacher, I felt as though this book was the primitive look into the life of a student who's background I can not personally relate to. The theme of Post-Colonialism is prevalent throughout the book. The book centers around the blatant differences experienced by Junior in his experiences with his reservation life and education and the life he lives when he goes to Reardan. 

Right off the bat, a piece of this novel that I feel as though I have not seen spoken upon was the remark that Roger made the first time he ever spoke to Junior. He refers to him as "Chief" and makes a comment that, as Junior quotes, "That was the most racist thing I had ever heard in my life." (Alexie 64) I do not want to type the exact comment that Roger said, but it took me aback the very first time I read it. This big, burly white boy came up to Junior and thought that was an appropriate thing to say. Roger's assertion of power and dominance in the moment was an example of post-colonialism themes that highlight the imbalance of power and Roger's feeling of being threatened by the presence of someone unlike him. 

Another really prominent moment in this book would be when Junior attends his very first basketball game with his Reardan team. Junior is playing against Wellpinit, his home team on the reservation. His reservation had turned their backs on him when he left to go pursue his education at Reardan. They viewed him as a traitor, someone who left his family and his upbringing behind to join the white folks. "And then, as one, they all turned their backs on me. It was a fricking awesome display of contempt." (Alexie 144) The humor that Junior displays throughout this book is a refreshing break from the heavy undertone that the story carries to the end. The title, "Part-Time" Indian becomes very relevant because it is a very real account of the first time Junior feels like an outcast from his own community, simultaneously he feels like an outcast from his Reardan community. The Indians on the Spokane reservation have such an internalized, yet justifiable, distaste for the white people. The Wellpinit team won the game that night. The Reardan team had to head home, defeated and off the Spokane reservation. It feels like a symbol of a historical victory that the Indians felt that they had never had. They managed to kick the invaders off their land, in a metaphorical sense. Something about the loss Reardan faced felt very symbolical for something much larger than a basketball game.

Overall, Junior's telling of his experiences feel very personal and bring up some valid points about the post colonial world that is being described here. Junior is forced to give up his identity of being an American Indian on the Spokane reservation and being a young boy who is deserving of a decent education. Unfortunately, those two things cannot exist together in this literary universe.

Comments

  1. Kels SalernoSeptember 7, 2020 at 12:14 PM

    Emily, I think you chose all of the right moments in the book to point out the post colonialism happening in Junior's life. To think someone so young having to deal with so much of that had me thinking almost throughout the entire book "How did he manage?". I think when you said "Junior is foced to give up his identity of being an American Indian on the Spokane reservation and being a young boy who is deserving of a decent education." really describes the book in it's entirety.

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  2. Nalayna HyattSeptember 8, 2020 at 7:50 AM

    Emily, I too really enjoyed this book. You chose great moments from the book to highlight the post-colonial influence and I also was taken aback when Rodger said those things. It's just one of the many examples of the negativity that comes with colonization and not knowing enough about the other side. I can't help but think about the single story Ted Talk and how well it fits with this book. Once Rodger actually got to know Junior and erased the single story, even if it started with a punch in the face, he developed a different attitude towards Junior.

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