The Absolutely True Response of a Future Teacher

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I thoroughly enjoyed The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Junior’s passion for learning and desire to create a better life for himself is truly inspiring. His story is not only motivational but is also raw and extremely relatable. Outlining major topics such as, alcoholism, bulimia, disabilities, racial and cultural oppression, and death, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a novel that, I believe, as a future teacher, many students could relate to.  

Despite some crude language and sexual connotations, I honestly think that this novel would be very applicable in a middle school classroom. I feel that many middle school students would be able to connect, in some way, to Junior and the struggles that he faces throughout his life. Whether they, themselves, can relate to Junior, or they know someone who can, the novel is extremely impactful. When students read how Junior, who is close to their age, experienced some of the same feelings and the same hardships as they have in their life, then they will be able to relate more with the novel and get more out of it. For example, Junior struggles to deal with the deaths of his grandmother, Eugene, and his sister. Junior says, “so I looked up the word “grief” in the dictionary. I wanted to find out everything I could about grief. I wanted to know why my family had been given so much to grieve about” (Alexie 172). I think that students will be able to relate to Junior’s pain of losing the people that he loved and not knowing how to necessarily deal with that pain. Many students lose loved ones and feel like they are all alone in their grief, when in fact, others around them might be dealing with the same feelings. I believe that this novel would help open the door to a lot of topics that students may feel like they cannot talk about, such as death.

Another thing that I think is extremely relevant to students today, is the idea that one race/culture is better than another. Throughout the novel, Junior goes back and forth between his life as an Indian on the Spokane reservation, and his life as an Indian at Reardan. Junior says “… some Indians think you have to act white to make your life better. Some Indians think you become white if you try to make your life better, if you become successful” (Alexie 131). A common issue in today's society is the suppression of minorities. I think that students will be able to relate to Junior and look at him as someone who is actively fighting against the stereotype that surrounds him; like so many other minorities must do every day. I think that this novel could be relevant in middle school classroom because it allows for students to engage in important discussions surrounding racial and cultural differences.

Comments

  1. Todd WhittakerSeptember 4, 2020 at 7:42 PM

    Hey, Mikayla! I agree with you that "True Diary" would be an excellent text for middle schoolers. Like you said, it has so much with which students that age can identify. In addition to the points you brought up, I want to mention the struggle of finding identity, as adolescents go through a period of trying to figure out who they are. Arnold pushes boundaries, he falls on his butt and gets up again, and he is authentic. I think his experiences can say to a middle schooler that it's okay to be who you are. The world will come around.

    I think the short chapters would also be appealing to middle level readers. Reluctant readers can read this novel as a series of short stories and not feel overwhelmed by reading such a big book. The way this book is structured, I think it can be sat down and picked up again and does not have to be read over a short span of time.

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  2. Emily BridgesSeptember 7, 2020 at 9:47 AM

    Mikayla,
    I totally agree that this novel would be such a great piece for middle school students. It is such a shame that this book is not allowed in many schools, as I feel it is a fantastic and relatable text for many students. You brought up a great point about certain topics being able to be discussion points in the classroom. I feel like it is such a teachable book and presents the topics in such an honest way that students can really pick it apart and interpret it how they want to. It's perfect for middle school age, even if it is a little crude at times. Then again, what middle schooler isn't a little crude and blunt every now and then?

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