THE ABSOLUTLEY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME
INDIAN
Alexie, S., & Forney, E. (2007). The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. New York: Little, Brown
Readability Lexile 600L
Target: Audience: Due to mature content, High School and
above.
Setting: The writers home towns of Wellpinit and Reardan.
Theme: The life experiences of a young Indian growing up on
a reservation.
Characters: Arnold Spirit, his friends and family.
The
Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is both a wonderful and emotional
book. There are a variety of themes touched upon throughout the story of a
young Indian boy growing up on a reservation. Arnold deals with living in
poverty while struggling with as he calls it, water on the brain. He views
himself as not normal. He stutters, has a lisp, is small for his age, and is
susceptible to seizures. Despite all of his physical challenges and economic struggles,
Arnold perseveres to great heights.
Arnold
loses almost everything he loves in this story. First, his beloved dog is put
down because it was sick and his family cannot afford a veterinary visit. His
sister is killed in a fire. His Father’s best friend dies in an automobile accident.
His Grand-mother is hit and killed by a drunk driver and due to Arnold leaving
the reservation to attend a “white” high school in Reardan, he loses his best
friend. Knowing these facts before reading the book does not spoil the plot at
all and I would highly recommend reading this book. It is filled with twists
and turns that will have you laughing, crying, angry, and rooting for Arnold!
Arnold comes to realize that the
only way he will ever be able to live a normal life is to escape the
reservation. He displays a great deal of tenacity in his dealings with his own
people and the people in Reardan. After a fight with a much bigger student at
Reardan, he quickly gains respect from many of his classmates and makes new
friends, including a girlfriend.
As he excels on the basketball
court, he not only wins his teammates over, but also the supporters of the team
around town. As he travels between two lives, one on the reservation and one at
Reardan, he eventually is accepted by the folks in both places, but not without
much trial and tribulation. As a reader, you will also come to appreciate how
Arnold deals with life, love, death, and difficult situations. The end of the
book leaves you feeling like you just read a book about a true hero. Especially
when you realize it is based on a true story. I won’t give away the ending, but
I will reiterate that it is a must read.
Despite the mature theme in this
book, I would definitely grade it as a “high quality read” for high school
students and any adult that is looking for a fun read. This book meets the requirements of high quality literature set forth by Norton (2011).
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