ipl-logo

Part-Time Indian Thesis

1048 Words5 Pages

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian written by Sherman Alexie is a novel that follows the journey of a young Native American boy named Junior, as he transfers to a new school and encounters unknown situations. At the beginning of the book, he struggles with an abundant amount of physical insecurity and sense of inferiority about his basketball skills. Nevertheless, after he transfers to Reardan High School, he forms new friendships and joins the school’s varsity basketball team. Due to these positive influences in his life, Junior gains more confidence in his looks while also becoming more determined and prideful in his basketball gameplay. Formerly, Junior was self-conscious about his physical appearance, and he believed he was …show more content…

This is proven to be true during Junior’s high school dance, when he wears his dad’s suit and is complimented by Penelope since it leads him to think that “every girl was immediately breathless at the sight of [his] bell-bottom slacks.” Thus, by claiming that girls fell in love with him because what his outfit, it indicates that he is more self-assured about his looks as he no longer describes himself in a belittling manner such as saying that he has too many teeth. Instead, he now perceives himself in a more confident way since he believes he is good looking enough to pull off an outfit that make girls “immediately breathless.” Furthermore, after Junior and Roger compete in a one-on-one game at basketball tryouts, Junior declares that “[he knows he’s] going to make the team.” When he finds out that this is true, he announces that “[he is] going to be [the coach’s] Weapon of Mass Destruction.” (143) This reveals that Junior has gained a more optimistic view about his basketball skills as he is confident enough to believe that he will make the team, instead of believing that he isn’t even good enough to become a high school basketball player. Also, by proclaiming that he will become “[the coach’s] Weapon of Mass Destruction” it proves that he now has the confidence to make to promise his coach he will become the ultimate player, instead of believing that he is inferior to

Show More
Related

  • Absolutely True Diary Of Part Time Indian Analysis

    989 Words  | 4 Pages

    The novel Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian, By Sherman Alexie it show how Indians or African Americans struggle with who they are and who they want to be. Arnold learns how to live through and with his struggles because of how his friends accepted and helped him. In this book Alexie shows how all of Arnold’s friends helped him through different aspects in life. If he didn’t have those friends than his life would have been so much harder.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Intolerance In The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian

    595 Words  | 3 Pages

    The book, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part- Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie, shows many examples of intolerance of another race. These intolerances of another race lead to the result of the word racism. Unlike all the other Indians on the reservation, Junior decided to be brave and go to an all-white school. Once Junior got to school,

    Read More

  • The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part Time Indian Essay

    879 Words  | 4 Pages

    Shawn Lawton Alex Rodriguez Academic Literature 4/21/2023 Opportunities and success Do all people have an equal chance in life? No, there are many things that can hold somebody back. In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, a Novel by Sherman Alexie it speaks about the theme of opportunity and success.

    Read More

  • Part Time Indian Conflicts

    1084 Words  | 5 Pages

    Junior’s decision to try out for the basketball team was influenced by the fact that he was facing a time of adversity and needed a way to escape it. If Junior was not having trouble with kids before trying out he might not have even tried out. As the

    Read More

  • What Is The Theme Of The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian

    837 Words  | 4 Pages

    Terence Baraka Mr. Rodriguez Academic Lit. 21 April 2023 Title Opportunities come and go, but those who take advantage of those opportunities will always be the ones to succeed. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie is a young adult fiction novel that explores the theme of opportunity and success.

    Read More

  • The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian By Sherman Alexie

    1536 Words  | 7 Pages

    In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, Alexie’s purpose of the importance of having hope is recurring through Junior’s

    Read More

  • Theme Of The Absolute True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian

    732 Words  | 3 Pages

    The text also states “Coach was thinking I would be an all-state player in a few years,” (Alexie 180). This supports my reasoning because his coach who has been implied to have coached for a while is saying that Junior is good enough to be a state-player which is extremely hard. Another point is that while it may be an exaggeration, this confidence boost would push Junior to strive for greatness and maybe eventually become an all-state player. That’s why Junior being a star basketball player connects to status doesn’t impede

    Read More

  • The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part Time Indian Essay

    1175 Words  | 5 Pages

    Different Representations of Mourning and the Stages of Grief Although mourning will end, death’s grasp on one’s life will never falter. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie is a realistic fiction novel that occurs on a Spokane reservation and a neighboring high school, Reardan. The protagonist, Arnold Spirit Junior, and his family experience significant loss after the deaths of Junior’s sister, Mary Spirit, and his grandmother, as well as a close family friend, Eugene.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Sherman Alexie's Novel 'The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian'

    889 Words  | 4 Pages

    Throughout their lifetimes, people go through a change in identity, which despite not being physical it changes them morally and emotionally, as well as influencing their actions. Sherman Alexie capitalizes off of this with his novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (ATDPTI), which follows Junior, a boy from a Native American reservation, who switches to a school in a nearby town, which is known for being racist towards his culture; Junior changes through the novel, and develops a true sense of his own identity, giving the work a prominent theme. Zitkala-Sa’s School Days of an Indian Girl follows a young Native American girl in the late 1800s, who is forced away from her family and sent to a boarding school built to strip them of their culture, and encounters drastic change similar to Junior. Sherman Alexie addresses the impact of one 's positive change in identity by giving his protagonist a character and goal or character to surpass; he does this by creating two similar characters, giving his protagonist a goal, and by showing a concluding comparison.

    Read More

  • The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part Time Indian Essay

    1264 Words  | 6 Pages

    Austin Jehle Ms. Mulvaney ELA 4 10 January 2023 Analysis Essay Depending on how an author goes about writing a story it can develop their themes in different ways based on the interactions of their characters and the conflicts that they have along the way. In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie one of the many themes that are developed in the story is Hope. The theme of hope plays a big part in the story since Junior, who is the main character, is constantly moving forward in order to find hope in spite of his bleak circumstances. Throughout the novel the themes Hope and dreams are developed by the multiple conflicts that Junior is faced with on the reservation and at Reardan.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian By Sherman Alexie

    1121 Words  | 5 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Part-Time Indian Struggles

    966 Words  | 4 Pages

    Facing struggles of life defines one’s character in life. The ability to confront one’s problems speaks volumes about their strength in character, hopefulness, and flexibility as a person. Through struggles, sacrifice, and tragedy, Junior in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie, Junior adapts to survive difficult situations and faces his problems head-on. As he makes radical changes to his life, adapts to unfamiliar culture, and finds himself amongst misery and heartbreak, Junior demonstrates this ability to overcome wicked adversity and struggles.

    Read More

  • Banned Book Research Paper

    859 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Absolute Diary Of A Part Time Indian Analysis

    1147 Words  | 5 Pages

    CONCLUSION Sherman Alexie in The Absolute Diary of A Part Time Indian, used images and stories to depict poverty and race in Junior 's life and how it affected his life. Poverty and race plays a role in the lives of the Native Americans and specifically Junior. While reading, it should be concluded that there 's hard times, and difficult measures to be crossed while living on the rez. All in all, poverty and race have shaped and molded Junior and the Native Americans on the

    Read More

  • Sherman Alexie What You Pawn I Will Redeem Analysis

    748 Words  | 3 Pages

    Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which is based on the author's own experiences, coupled with poignant drawings by Ellen Forney that reflect the character's art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he was destined to live. Two samples of

    Read More

More about Part-Time Indian Thesis

Open Document