Absolutely True Diary Of Part Time Indian Analysis

Racism is something that negatively hurts/affects people. It causes the victims to feel isolated from the world. In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, racism lowers Junior’s confidence and it causes him to think negatively about himself. It gives him a form of sadness and regret on how he currently has to live his life. In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Sherman Alexie explores the existence and negative effects of racism against Indigenous Peoples. This is shown through Junior’s loss of self-esteem, the fear he has about not being able to succeed due to his Native status and lastly, the isolation he feels.
Junior believes that all Indians are poor and because they’re poor they become unsuccessful. The whole fact about being poor lowers his self-esteem, which makes him believe that he will end up like his parents and not succeed in life. His being poor is a by-product of racism. Junior begins to think negatively about himself and he says:
It sucks to be poor, and it sucks to feel that you somehow deserve to be poor. You start believing that you're poor because you're stupid and ugly. And then you start believing that you're stupid and ugly because you're
Indian. And because you're Indian you start believing you're destined to be poor. It's an ugly circle and there's nothing you can do about it. (Alexie 13).
This quote shows that Junior has a low self-esteem and he continues to think negatively about himself. He believes that he’s poor because he’s stupid and ugly and being stupid and ugly comes from being Indian. In addition to thinking negatively of himself, Junior continues to put himself down. Junior says, "Man, I've always cried too easily. I cry when I'm happy or sad. I cry when I'm angry. I cry because I'm crying. It's weak. It's the opposite of the warrior." (Alexie 75). In this quote, Junior makes himself appear weaker than he actually is. His self-esteem is so low that he claims he’s the opposite of a warrior. Racism not only affects Junior by the lowering of his self-esteem, it also has other impacts on Junior such as the inability to succeed in life.
Due to his race, Junior believes that he will not be able to succeed in life. Junior looks at his parents and the fact that they didn’t succeed, makes him believe he won’t either. When Junior sees his mother’s name in his textbook, it upsets him that he has to learn the same things that was taught so long ago. Junior says:
My school and my tribe are so poor and it’s sad that we have to study from the same dang books our parents studied from. That is absolutely the saddest thing in the world. And let me tell you, that old, old, old, decrepit geometry book hit my heart with the force of a nuclear bomb. My hopes and dreams floated up in a mushroom cloud. What do you do when the world has declared a nuclear war on you? (Alexie 31).
Junior is upset at the fact that he has to learn the same things his parents learned. It makes him think that if his parents learned the same material that he is learning and didn’t succeed, what are the chances he will. Furthermore, this incident makes Junior lose hope, which makes him wonder where he can find hope and who has the most hope. Junior begins to question who has the most hope as he is confused. He asks:
“Who has the most hope?" I asked. Mom and Dad looked at each other. They studied each other's eyes, you know, like they had antennas and were sending radio signals to each other. And then they both looked back at me. "Come on, I said.
“Who has the most hope?"
"White people," my parents said at the same time. (Alexie 45).
Junior’s parents tells him that white people have the most hope, which worries him because he now believes he will not be able to succeed, considering the fact that he is Indian and not white. In Junior’s eyes, the fact that you’re Indian, automatically means that he will not be able to achieve your dreams. As much as racism lowers Junior’s self-esteem and it makes him believe he wouldn’t be able to succeed in life, Junior also begins to feel isolated from everyone and the world due to his race. Junior feels isolated from everyone and everything. He feels this way just because he’s Indian and not white. Junior says “Traveling between Reardan and Wellpinit, between the little white town and the reservation, I always felt like a stranger. I was half Indian in one place and half white in the other. It was like being Indian was my job, but it was only a part-time job. And it didn't pay well at all.” (Alexie 118). Junior feels isolated because he feels as though he doesn’t fit in anywhere. He is caught between the two and he feels as if he’s half Indian in one place and half white in the other. Junior says “They stared at me, the Indian boy with the black eye and swollen nose, my going-away gifts from Rowdy. Those white kids couldn't believe their eyes. They stared at me like I was Bigfoot or a UFO. What was I doing at Reardan, whose mascot was an Indian, thereby making me the only other Indian in town?” (Alexie 56). Junior feels different from all the other kids at Reardan. He feels isolated from the school and everyone attending it. He feels like there is no room for him at Reardan due to his race and the others make him feel like he’s the only Indian in town. He feels this way due to the looks and stares he receives. Racism negatively affects Junior throughout the novel.
Junior manages to feel left out and isolated from those around him, he believes he will not be able to succeed in the future due to his native status and the whole fact about being Indian and poor continues to make him put himself down and lower his self-esteem. Junior insults himself and thinks that everything wrong in his life is because he is Indian. Due to the fact that he’s Indian makes him feel left out from the others at Reardan. Racism is a serious matter that makes others feel bad about who they are as a person and it should be stopped because others shouldn’t have to listen to others put down their culture and who they are as a
person.