The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Essay Example

an occasional new outfit. However, having a best friend like Rowdy made things a little easier. Rowdy was not only Junior's secret keeper but also protected him from anyone who tried to harm him. However, after changing schools, everyone on the reservation hated Junior and viewed him negatively. His first day at Reardan was tough, as it was the complete opposite of his previous school. The only positive aspect of the day was meeting Penelope, whose beauty left Junior in awe with her blonde hair and blue eyes. As we read Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian, we encounter various themes, with hope being the most prominent one. Both Sherman Alexie and Junior himself illustrate the loss of hope through Junior's diary entries and drawings.Throughout the narrative, we witness how Junior, his family, and friends all initially have little hope. Despite being constantly knocked down, one would expect someone to hold onto some form of hope, but that doesn't happen. A prime example of this loss of hope occurs when Junior speaks to his teacher after throwing a book at the teacher's face. On page 41, Junior says, "No teacher had ever said anything so nice... to me." This quote reveals the lack of hope the people on the reservation have in themselves and others. It is quite taboo in the modern world where most teachers are supposed to instill hope in their students. Additionally, we see how Junior believes that race plays a role in hope. Multiple characters express that whites have a better chance at a successful life compared to Indians or any other race. We get a firsthand glimpse into this

belief when Junior draws a picture of a white unicorn and declares on page 51, "I don't know if hope is white, but I do know that for me it's like some mythical creature." This not only showcases Junior's feelings of inferiority towards the white race but also highlights the absence of hope in his life up until this point. To him, it seemed that he was destined to grow up and be like his father and the other men on the reservation.Alcoholic and struggling to operate computer terminals encounter with extremely concise instructions. This can be a deeply sad and difficult experience. Junior, upon being transferred to Reardan, doesn't know how to communicate with the "white" people and is somewhat afraid of them. However, he quickly makes friends and realizes that it's alright, white people aren't inherently bad (even if they can be racist). In Sherman Alexie's book, "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian", the author suggests that hating oneself will only make life more challenging. Instead, one should accept oneself to improve and find happiness in life. In conclusion, Arnold made both good and bad decisions. One of the decisions he made was to forgive others, throw a book at a teacher, and attend a predominantly white school. By forgiving those who hurt him, Arnold was able to transform his life. He believed that forgiveness had the power to change anything.