In the Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Junior lives a double life in Reardan and the Spokane Reservation. Junior goes to school in Wellpinit and lives in Spokane Reserve. Living on the Reservation brings cyclical depression, despair, and substance abuse. The role alcohol plays in Junior life on the reservation is that it causes people he cares about to be harmed, Junior feeling neglected, and loss of loved ones. Although Junior does not drink alcohol himself, the majority of the people on the reservation are alcoholics. Not only does alcohol affect just people, but it also affects the people of the reservation's hopes, dreams, and futures. Because of the different ways the reservation brings dejection, they all have different ways …show more content…
Junior's father is an alcoholic and spends all his money on gambling and alcohol. For instance, he drank and gambled on Christmas(Alexie 120). This shows that Junior’s father abuses substances as a way of coping with poverty and the consequences of uncontrolled drinking. Junior's fathers drinks because it numbs the pain and allows him to feel senseless and numb. Junior’s father spending money on alcohol and gambling causes the family to have financial problems(Alexie 120), less family time, and Junior having to walk home because they don’t have enough money to spend on gas(Alexie 70). Not only does this impact Junior’s family financially, but it leaves Junior disappointed and makes Junior despondent. The way Junior copes with his alcoholic father is by laughing it off and saying it’s okay when it’s not(Alexie 120). Junior’s father drinking when Eugene and Grandma Spirit died(Alexie 125, 135) is another example. These instances show that Junior’s father is not capable of providing the stability and support that Junior needs as a teenager. Sometimes, even for an entire week, Junior's father goes away drinking and spending his money. Therefore, Junior cannot enjoy his teenage years and must instead act like an adult. Grandma Spirit is heavily relied on by Junior for this …show more content…
Grandma Spirit has always listened and advised Junior whenever given the opportunity. Unfortunately, Junior’s grandma dies from a drunk driver crashing into her. Everyone on the reservation greaves and mourns for her. Junior’s grandma is very impactful in Junior's life and is a major role model. For example, Junior illustrates a cartoon for Grandma(Alexie 55), he asks her for advice(Alexie 54), and he believes she is top four in her list of who brings her the most joy(Alexie 140). Junior’s Grandma can bring stability and peace because she is sober, unlike the people on the Reservation. Not only is she impactful in Junior’s life, but also everyone on the Reservation. They all cherished Grandma Spirit and respected her gracefully. Nearly all of the Reservation went to her funeral to pay respect(Alexie 128). Grandma Spirit death expresses that alcohol can take your loved ones away from you. It brings Junior sorrow, emotional growth, and for him to become more appreciative of his life and loved
Junior admired his grandmother’s compassion in her last moments. Junior was very distraught about his grandmother’s death because she was a very good influence in his life. This shows how often people are angry and unkind about a situation that they cannot change. The use of the word “call” suggests that Junior’s grandmother did not want her family to be upset over her death. This statement shows that Junior may have to show forgiveness in the
The abuse of alcohol is prevalent in many aspects of Indian life. In the Novel “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” and the film “Smoke Signals” alcohol abuse is one of the main factors of creating hardships. The negative effects of alcohol are evident in both stories through the examples of Death, Physical abuse and Addiction. First, The abuse of alcohol is prevalent in the novel and film because it's the main factor of death in both stories. The death of juniors sister mary in the novel was caused by alcohol.
The impact of his father’s addiction still reflects in every walk of his life, every string of his personality and in his life, he won’t let his children go anywhere near alcohol or any other such
This shows the closeness and care that Janie’s grandmother had for Janie from the time she was born. Because, Janie’s mother wasn’t in her life, so in turn Janie’s grandmother assumed the role of bringing up her
The lack of care and guidance that a mother should offer is hindered by the mutual addiction that they share. And much like Jared, she also delves deep into escapism, leaving the ones she was supposed to care for, vulnerable. What should have been care and responsibility turns into emotional turmoil and neglect, leaving lasting impacts upon Jared. In addition to the lasting effects of neglect and emotional turmoil, the effects left upon by Jared’s father play an equally important role. The absence of a father figure is extremely important and can be seen affecting Jared throughout the story.
When the grandmother is close to death she no longer acts superior. She realizes she is flawed like everyone else. At this point, she recognizes that both she and the Misfit are sinners in need of grace. The grandmother then begins to offer his love and acceptance by referring to him as “one of my [her] own children’ (15). From a Christian standpoint, grace is to love even when you hate.
Junior’s father’s drinking problems and the lack of funds to afford decent living conditions on the reservation are prevalent issues throughout the book that provide an insight into this theme. This proves that the author has written this novel to exhibit the hardships of those in poverty are detrimental to a child’s future. First, the novel shows the hardships of poverty by showing the discrimination made against Junior. On page 86, Junior states he “remembered when I [he] used to be a human being,” (Alexie 86).
Alcohol is an epidemic within the Indian reservation as well as all over the world. There are many themes present in the book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. One particular theme that is present throughout the story is that alcoholism kills and ruins lives. In this section I will use quotes to show and prove why Junior hates alcohol and how it affects him as well as others. My first quote is “Yep, my grandmother was pow-wow famous.
This talks about Johnny having parental figures in his life but they don’t care about him at all. He relies on the gang for love and support. His mom shows no interest in him, and his father is abusive to him and hits him. He doesn’t have that strong relationship with his parents any kid dies for. His parents wouldn’t even care if he stayed out all night and didn’t come home.
From the beginning, Junior's grandmother has always believed in him and stood by him. When Junior went to Reardan, his grandmother was the only one who thought it was a good idea. She was someone he could always rely on. Sadly, while she was walking home from a mini powwow she was struck and killed by a drunk driver. But before she died she had said “forgive him”, talking about the driver that injured her, as she was always wanting peace in the world.
It is uncommon to try to branch out and achieve high goals. Junior mentions this commonality at the beginning of his journey, “Poverty doesn't give you strength or teach you lessons about perseverance. No, poverty teaches you how to be poor” (Alexie 13). Junior fights this by moving to a predominantly white school, his goal is to get out of the reservation. Impressively, his sister also fights this when she spontaneously decides to get married and move far away from her family.
Faced with many obstacles from poverty to racial stereotypes, Junior must override them if he is to make his life better than that of fellow Indians. Interestingly, rather than letting the obstacles hold him back Junior understands that his destiny is in his own hands and he must celebrate who he is even if it means fighting. In the end, we see a boy who have managed to overcome all hardships to get to the top, even if it means making tough choices such as changing schools, therefore is could be seen that race and stereotypes only made Junior
Junior initially shows this quality when he averts his lack of money at the breakfast after the dance. Sick with worry, Junior confesses his lack of money to Roger, who responds with care by lending him money. Though Junior lies about the location of his wallet out of shame, he bravely asks for help from Roger. Thus, he approaches his dilemma with courage which indicates his capability to acclimate. Also, Junior reacts to the heartbreak of his grandmother’s death by finding an outlet to his struggles.
As Junior matures he realizes that he has many obstacles within his life, like the fact that he lives in poverty, a lot of people show racism towards him and his people, and the death of family members and
“Under The Influence: Paying the price of my father's booze” is an essay that was written by Scott Russell Sanders to describe his father drinking habit. In this essay, the author has used both comparisons and allegories to explain how his father’s drinking habit was very serious and how it affected his whole family. In addition, the essay describe explores the connection between excessive drinking and excessive working and compares the two. To start with, the author has talked about father’s extreme habit of alcohol drinking, stressing on the different changes his father showed every time he had a drink. Besides his father’s addiction in drinking, Sander has also talked about his lovely daughter who she also considers as an addict as well.