Arnold has hope. He fights back. He looks for others with hope. He decides that things can change for him. He has the strength to fight. And he does.
:The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time
Still, as the novel teaches us, there is also plenty of joy-or, as one of the character calls joy, "metaphorical boners"-to be had. The Absolutely True Diary doesn't pull any punches, but it also offers readers a hilarious and hopeful read. And even if you're nothing like Arnold, we're willing to wager that you'll find this novel to be "absolutely true" and absolutely relatable in at least a few ways.
Using The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
A National Book Award-winning author, poet, and filmmaker, Sherman has been named one of Granta's Best Young American Novelists and has been lauded by The Boston Globe as "an important voice in American literature." He is one of the most well known and beloved literary writers of his generation, with works such as The Long Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven and Reservation Blues and has received numerous awards and citations, including the PEN/Malamud Award for Fiction and the Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Award.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Summary
Stories about hope are important because they teach us not to give in to despair. Even when there are seemingly insurmountable forces working against us, we still must believe things can change. Why? Because they do.
We then meet the narrator's best friend, a tough-guy named Rowdy. Rowdy spends quite a bit of time with the narrator's family, since his own is abusive. The two go to a powwow together where Junior (one of our narrator's names) gets roughed up a bit, and Rowdy has to intervene. We see that Rowdy is Junior's main protector.
Junior starts Reardan High School, where he meets the hot blonde Penelope and gets picked on by the jock Roger. Around this time we also learn that our narrator's full name is Arnold Spirit, Jr. Eventually, Arnold stands up to Roger and punches him in the nose. Roger doesn't fight back, but begins to respect Arnold.
The narrator introduces himself to us: he is a hydrocephalic , meaning he was born with water on the brain. He is also a budding artist and hopes to use his words to connect with people.
The end of the book is a reconciliation between Rowdy and Arnold. They play a one-on-one game of basketball. Rowdy tells Arnold that Arnold is a nomad and accepts the fact that Arnold has left the reservation. Meanwhile, Arnold has decided that he is multi-tribal. He has found a way of looking at himself that is not solely based on "white" or "Indian." He belongs to many different tribes.
Arnold Spirit, Jr. is a stuttering hydrocephalic living on an impoverished Indian reservation where he is routinely bullied and beaten up. His parents are alcoholics, his sister is a hermit recluse, and his best friend is abused by his father.
Arnold also becomes friends with a kid named Gordy who is the school genius. A total brainiac, Gordy teaches Arnold how to really read a book. and about other joys of learning.
"The absolutely true diary of a part-time indian book" in pictures. More images "The absolutely true diary of a part-time indian book".
