Arnold Spirit Character Analysis

All Arnold’s life, he thought that non-Indians had it better, but this passage indicates that he saw that was not always true. While they did live in poverty, Arnold realized that at least he had his family. This brought on a revelation that non-Indians didn’t have it perfect, and what Arnold may be lacking, others are missing what Arnold does have. This discovery in that everyone was missing something perhaps bridged a stronger connection to the two worlds Arnold was living

Instances of the former assertion can be seen all throughout the novel, where the Californios’ describe themselves as native Californians, but this is especially important once the Alamares begin to lose social standing. Szeghi emphasizes that Ruiz de Burton consistently uses the term “native” to underscore the Californios prior occupancy of the land to bolster their claims, “however, assigning this aspect of native identity—along with the land rights it entails—to Mexicana/os involves stripping the same from American Indians" (91). I would go a step further and argue that Ruiz de Burton’s description of the Californios as natives is an attempt to successfully play the victim, as evidenced by her use of sickness and injury throughout the book. It is well documented that disease was the most potent killer of the Native American population following European colonization of the Americas. And yet, despite clearly descending from Spanish aristocracy, Ruiz de Burton gives her characters sickly qualities while denouncing the corrupting squatter invaders.

The novel illustrates True Son's struggle with his dual identity as a white-raised Native American and the tension it creates between both cultural groups, ultimately causing him to become an enemy to both and leaving him to question where his true loyalty and sense of self lies. True Son’s struggle with his identity is obvious in his own conflict between his two cultural devotions. He was raised as a member of the Lenni Lenape tribe and

History is what we learn in school about the past, about people’s culture, their way of life, their beliefs, their fight and their dreams. However, history is not an absolute truth. In fact, every story has more than one version. The History of the native American in the United States still one of the most controversial subjects in history, not only because of all the ambiguity filled in the story, but also and more importantly because the it was written by only one side. Indeed, it was written by the winners, the invaders, and the dominants.

The way that they are represented in the novel provides an insight into modern day native American culture unparalleled by any history book. The way women, children, men, religious figures, and senior citizens are represented in the book allow readers to see the way native Americans interact with others. These interactions allow us to see how native

Despite the negative stereotype of American Indians, the objections and disapproval of fellow Natives, and the criticism of others, Sherman Alexie went on to become a successful writer that has inspired many. Alexie overcame many obstacles that would have deterred him from his goal, but he was able to remain steadfast and continue on in his pursuit of writing. As a result, he has published many literary works that include several short stories, poems, and a variety of novels. He allows his culture to seep into his writing, and continues to inspire young American Indians who also desire the path of knowledge.

Writer Sherman Alexie has a knack of intertwining his own problematic biographical experience with his unique stories and no more than “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven” demonstrates that. Alexie laced a story about an Indian man living in Spokane who reflects back on his struggles in life from a previous relationship, alcoholism, racism and even the isolation he’s dealt with by living off the reservation. Alexie has the ability to use symbolism throughout his tale by associating the title’s infamy of two different ethnic characters and interlinking it with the narrator experience between trying to fit into a more society apart from his own cultural background. However, within the words themselves, Alexie has created themes that surround despair around his character however he illuminates on resilience and alcoholism throughout this tale.

The book focuses on a young boy named Arnold Spirit who shows persistence and bravery as he defies all odds and strides towards a happier more successful life than his parents and ancestors before him. Arnold is a bright, inspiring young boy who grows up with little fortune and is destined to continue down the path of a poor, misunderstood Indian. However, his fate changes for the better when a spark lights the fire inside of him to strive to pursue a better, more flourishing life as he makes an extraordinary decision to transfer to an all-white school for a worthier education. However, the drastic change of schools puts a burden on his family to get him to school as well as leads to extreme bullying from not just kids at his new school but also from his fellow Indians in his hometown. In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, I learned that it doesn 't matter what your situation is and what you are expected to accomplish in your lifetime or what standards have already been set for you because you can be whoever you want to be with hard work, ambition, and confidence.

People are trying to get this book banned due to the innapropiate topic used in this book. Most people dont read this book and just make up thing that this book should be banned for. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part- Time Indian should be banned becase of the use of race, sex, and alcahol. Many people want to ban this book due to the use of race in the book. Many of the white kid that go to school with Arnold make racis comment about him being indian.

As Winston Churchill said,” Success is not final. Failure is not fatal”. It is the perseverance and hope to continue that counts. This is the story of a boy named Junior whose key is his hope. The Absolutely True Diary is the life story of a Arnold Spirit (Junior) and his efforts to break the stereotypes about Indians.

The novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian is not simply written. The author Sherman Alexie, uses several words like articulate, hormonal, and decrepit which displays that the novel could be read by people of all ages. This novel is wonderfully written so that people of every socioeconomic status can relate to real-world problems like poverty, racism, death and substance abuse. Alexie uses simple language to convey the thoughts that are actually inside people’s minds. For instance, in the first chapter of the book, the author introduces Arnold to the world (Alexie, 2007).

I read books late into the night, until I could barely keep my eyes open… I loved those books, but I also knew that love had only one purpose. I was trying to save my life.” Being like Sherman Alexie meant he was neither accepted as a smart non-Indian boy, nor was he accepted as a dumb Indian boy. He was lost in the shadows, to never be welcomed into either group. Which in his case was a good thing, there in the shadows he had even more time to gain intelligence, he could read and increase his likelihood of forcing open the cement door that stood in his way.

Being a writer of many different styles, Sherman Alexie started off as a poet before writing novels and short stories. His poetic manner continues in the story “Indian Education”. He has a wide array of dry statements mixed with metaphors and statements that are not meant to be taken literally. The trend for each years is that he starts off dry and literal and ends poetic and metaphorical. His description of his interactions with the “white girl” in seventh grade is a great example.

In Sherman Alexie’s short stories (and poems), there usually three central themes that the story rotates. In this paper, I will be exploring how he (Alexie) explores the themes losing culture, a cycle of regret, and using drugs (mainly alcohol) to escape. In Indian Education, the short story, Alexie seems to show that whenever young Victor tries to express himself through his culture, he is punished. Take the section “First Grade” for example. In first grade, Junior (the main character and narrator) says that “The little warrior in me roared to life that day..” and makes comparisons to traditional Native American warriors, such as describing the brusies on the other boy’s face as “war paint” or how Junior chants “it’s a good day to die”, which is phrase typically associated with Crazy Horse, who was a Native American chief.

In his book the Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Sherman Alexie portrays a teenage boy, Arnold Spirit (junior) living in white man’s world, and he must struggle to overcome racism and stereotypes if he must achieve his dreams. In the book, Junior faces a myriad of misfortunes at his former school in ‘the rez’ (reservation), which occurs as he struggles to escape from racial and stereotypical expectations about Indians. For Junior he must weigh between accepting what is expected of him as an Indian or fight against those forces and proof his peers and teachers wrong. Therefore, from the time Junior is in school at reservation up to the time he decides to attend a neighboring school in Rearden, we see a teenager who is facing tough consequences for attempting to go against the racial stereotypes.