Post-Colonial Theory in Sherman Alexie's book

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With regard to Post-Colonial Theory, several scenes from Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian stood out to me. First is the scene in which Mr. P admits his sins to Junior, then tells him to leave, because “If you stay on this rez,…they're going to kill you…you can't fight us forever.” (Alexie 43.) This is just after Mr. P admits to ‘try[ing] to kill Indian culture.’ This horrifying concept should not exist. Unfortunately, however, that is the way the world works—and its effects are realistically portrayed in Alexie’s book. Near the end, Junior tells us that the reservations were intended as a place for Indians to die. This, too, is both horrific and accurately portrayed, considering how many deaths occur in the book, despite the original purpose being forgotten.

Alexie realistically depicts white people as they bully or try to be saviors. Mr. P is a bully who saw the error of his ways, and in the chapter titled ‘Wake,’ Ted acts as a prime example of a ‘savior,’ with his ‘heart-felt’ speech. He tried so hard to look sympathetic and understanding, and he wasn’t even at the right place. The greatest thing he did for the assembled was to make them laugh—and that was unintentional.

Two examples with a different impact, are during Junior’s inner-monologue just before the basketball game against Wellpinit High. “Two tribal cops were also there. I guess they were for security. For whose security, I don't know.” (Alexie 143.) On the next page, as he sees them rooting against him: “If these dang Indians had been this organized when I went to school here, maybe I would have had more reasons to stay.” (Alexie 144.) This is heartbreakingly ironic. His community banded together in hatred of him, enough to finally start to fix some of the reasons he left—even though he didn’t truly leave. He couldn’t; he didn’t have any money. Yet someone had enough to waste a quarter.

There is a significant misunderstanding concerning the community’s unjust anger for Junior: they thought he left them for the white people because he saw them as superior; that he wanted to abandon them. That misunderstanding is confirmed on pages 131 and 132, where Junior describes their mentality to Gordy, saying that they see Junior as ‘an apple’—a traitor. “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.” (Alexie 132.)

Junior’s poor self-image comes from his living conditions while growing up; it’s not why he left. He left because he was looking for hope, for a better way of life—to escape the drinking, the drugs, the death. He didn’t leave to abandon his culture or identity; he did it to ‘multiply hope by hope’ (Alexie 43.) At the very end of the book, Junior says he hopes that one day he could forgive himself for leaving his people. My hope would be for him to realize that there’s nothing to forgive.


Comments

  1. AngelSeptember 7, 2022 at 6:26 PM

    I wanted to comment on your mention of things changing as soon as Arnold left. This type of thing is so common. Especially in adults when it comes to their children. They are too proud to admit they were wrong and that someone younger than them chose the right thing in leaving and pursuing a better life so instead they focus on their younger kids or grandkids to "start over" and I never understood that. I guess it all comes back to how most societies link age to wisdom.

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    1. HelenSeptember 8, 2022 at 1:54 PM

      True! I think it's a combination of pride and shame, though, when adults do that--depending on the person. Age doesn't always mean wisdom, but that is the stereotype, so when an adult is shown that they were wrong or ignorant, the ways they respond can sometimes be detrimental and hypocritical.

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