Sherman Alexie
How does the author of you chosen text heighten the entertainment value within it?
In Sherman Alexie’s written text, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, readers follows the journey of a teen protagonist named Junior; on his quest for belonging in this world. In the novel, realistic depiction of adolescent life and the social conditions of Native Americans as a minority is shown to the audience. However, the entertainment value of the text is heightened with the presentation of Junior’s surroundings, which create suspense and interest, thereby keeping readers engaged. Themes such as friendship, identity crisis, alcoholism, and violence, create the precipice for these young adolescent audiences to connect them to the text. Alexie …show more content…
reflects present day society by portraying Junior’s identity caught between life on the reservation and life in Reardan. The author depicts our society’s fascination with belonging to or identifying with a group, and our reluctance to get away in fear of isolation or being ostracised.
The text is centred on ‘the reservation’ where Junior spends the majority of his young life. Alexie provides blatant examples when describing life on a Native American reservation. At the beginning of the text, the reservation is depicted as a place of ‘great beauty’ from the perspective of a young fourteen-year-old boy. At the commencement of Junior’s schooling, in Reardan, the beauty, and wonder that the reservation once held dissipated. The reservation’s dark side is exposed through its destructive environment riddled with poverty, abuse, alcoholism, and senseless death.
The purpose of using the theme Identity crisis is to clearly explain to the reader a sense of loneliness that fills Junior. This sense of loneliness brings about a bridge of understanding between the characters' emotions and its relevance’s to today’s society. However, the truly shocking part of the novel was how his own community, with the exception of his own family, were so blindly able to go from recognising him to not acknowledge his existence. The community’s sudden distrust in Junior was due to his desire to emancipate himself in search for where the hope is, while those who have forgotten how to hope, believe that you should stay where you belong and not drift out and try to be different. This is later shown within the novel when Junior leaves the reservation to attend school at Reardan in search of hope.
‘Reardan was the opposite of the reservation. It was the opposite of my family. It was the opposite of me. I didn’t deserve to be there. I knew it; all of those kids knew it. Indians don’t deserve shit.’
(pg. 56)
Alexie depicts reality in a cultural context, which questions the national identities of minorities, within American societies.
Junior struggles to mindfully understand whether he belongs with Native American or White Caucasian mainstream society. While plagued with this notion of belonging, he was condemned as a cultural traitor by his people while at Reardan he is seen as a stray animal. These two examples are what isolation forced upon a child would seem like. Understanding that, readers can establish a deeper consideration of the situation as ideally each person would have experienced isolation once. With the addition of the powerful emotional tool empathy, the author is able to heighten the entertainment value of this text. In turn, the text allows for one to question one’s own reaction towards isolation and social …show more content…
stigma.
Alexie’s usage of the theme friendship conveys to readers the trustful and closeness that both Rowdy and Junior share. With this bond between them, the readers can relate this unbreakable friendship with someone in their life. However, despite Rowdy’s violent and rugged personality, he is a “fiercely loyal friend” to Junior. The friendship between these two boys is based upon trust and friendly chatter which shows their closeness. This example of their friendship presents itself when Junior is let out of the office of Mr. P.
“I thought you were on suspension, dick-ward,” he said, which was Rowdy way of saying, “I’m happy you’re here.” “Kiss my ass,” I said
(pg.48).
The author uses this theme to highlight that buddy-cop connection between the characters in the novel and the friends you hold dear. This feeling of closeness radiating from the friendship of these boys is why the dialogue between them might seem to be rude or even crude on some occasion, but nevertheless, it does show the authenticity and realism which reflect “their lingo”.
Alexie uses alcohol and violence to intentionally connect the reader’s experiences and the effects of abuse it has on the novel interpretation of the characters witnessing the effects of these substances on one’s community. This comparison makes one question as to why those that drink would force physical pain towards loved one. Within the novel, it would seem that if your parents are entrapped into the cycle of abuse and sad drunks then there is a possibility that it will overwhelm you. This becomes apparel in the latter part of the novel, like when Junior finds out about the death of his sister.
‘I was crying because I knew five or ten or fifteen more Spokane’s would die during the next year and that most of them would die because of booze.’
(pg.
216)
The author uses this theme to show that drinking can lead to some form of violence. Within the novel Native Americans suffer the force of domestic violence due to alcohol, therefore Junior is empathic because any one of those Spokane’s Indians from his community could die from perhaps being beaten too harshly by an alcoholic parent. Take Rowdy’s abusive drunk of a father who continually beats both Rowdy and his mother for the littlest of things. This is but one example of the effect of alcoholism and violence in the normal. Readers can connect with such situation either directly through personal relation or via proxy. This evokes the emotion of sympathy and compassion while strengthening the connection between the reader and the characters.
Alexie presents an engaging and authentic coming of age story with themes which portray significant relevance to the real world today. It was mainly because of this relevance, that one was able to understand Junior’s character, connect with his journey and relate to the world he lived in and the characters around him. Alexie’s unique writing style, accompanied by the often irreverent humour and gripping themes has produced a masterpiece.
In Sherman Alexie’s written text, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, readers follows the journey of a teen protagonist named Junior; on his quest for belonging in this world. In the novel, realistic depiction of adolescent life and the social conditions of Native Americans as a minority is shown to the audience. However, the entertainment value of the text is heightened with the presentation of Junior’s surroundings, which create suspense and interest, thereby keeping readers engaged. Themes such as friendship, identity crisis, alcoholism, and violence, create the precipice for these young adolescent audiences to connect them to the text. Alexie …show more content…
reflects present day society by portraying Junior’s identity caught between life on the reservation and life in Reardan. The author depicts our society’s fascination with belonging to or identifying with a group, and our reluctance to get away in fear of isolation or being ostracised.
The text is centred on ‘the reservation’ where Junior spends the majority of his young life. Alexie provides blatant examples when describing life on a Native American reservation. At the beginning of the text, the reservation is depicted as a place of ‘great beauty’ from the perspective of a young fourteen-year-old boy. At the commencement of Junior’s schooling, in Reardan, the beauty, and wonder that the reservation once held dissipated. The reservation’s dark side is exposed through its destructive environment riddled with poverty, abuse, alcoholism, and senseless death.
The purpose of using the theme Identity crisis is to clearly explain to the reader a sense of loneliness that fills Junior. This sense of loneliness brings about a bridge of understanding between the characters' emotions and its relevance’s to today’s society. However, the truly shocking part of the novel was how his own community, with the exception of his own family, were so blindly able to go from recognising him to not acknowledge his existence. The community’s sudden distrust in Junior was due to his desire to emancipate himself in search for where the hope is, while those who have forgotten how to hope, believe that you should stay where you belong and not drift out and try to be different. This is later shown within the novel when Junior leaves the reservation to attend school at Reardan in search of hope.
‘Reardan was the opposite of the reservation. It was the opposite of my family. It was the opposite of me. I didn’t deserve to be there. I knew it; all of those kids knew it. Indians don’t deserve shit.’
(pg. 56)
Alexie depicts reality in a cultural context, which questions the national identities of minorities, within American societies.
Junior struggles to mindfully understand whether he belongs with Native American or White Caucasian mainstream society. While plagued with this notion of belonging, he was condemned as a cultural traitor by his people while at Reardan he is seen as a stray animal. These two examples are what isolation forced upon a child would seem like. Understanding that, readers can establish a deeper consideration of the situation as ideally each person would have experienced isolation once. With the addition of the powerful emotional tool empathy, the author is able to heighten the entertainment value of this text. In turn, the text allows for one to question one’s own reaction towards isolation and social …show more content…
stigma.
Alexie’s usage of the theme friendship conveys to readers the trustful and closeness that both Rowdy and Junior share. With this bond between them, the readers can relate this unbreakable friendship with someone in their life. However, despite Rowdy’s violent and rugged personality, he is a “fiercely loyal friend” to Junior. The friendship between these two boys is based upon trust and friendly chatter which shows their closeness. This example of their friendship presents itself when Junior is let out of the office of Mr. P.
“I thought you were on suspension, dick-ward,” he said, which was Rowdy way of saying, “I’m happy you’re here.” “Kiss my ass,” I said
(pg.48).
The author uses this theme to highlight that buddy-cop connection between the characters in the novel and the friends you hold dear. This feeling of closeness radiating from the friendship of these boys is why the dialogue between them might seem to be rude or even crude on some occasion, but nevertheless, it does show the authenticity and realism which reflect “their lingo”.
Alexie uses alcohol and violence to intentionally connect the reader’s experiences and the effects of abuse it has on the novel interpretation of the characters witnessing the effects of these substances on one’s community. This comparison makes one question as to why those that drink would force physical pain towards loved one. Within the novel, it would seem that if your parents are entrapped into the cycle of abuse and sad drunks then there is a possibility that it will overwhelm you. This becomes apparel in the latter part of the novel, like when Junior finds out about the death of his sister.
‘I was crying because I knew five or ten or fifteen more Spokane’s would die during the next year and that most of them would die because of booze.’
(pg.
216)
The author uses this theme to show that drinking can lead to some form of violence. Within the novel Native Americans suffer the force of domestic violence due to alcohol, therefore Junior is empathic because any one of those Spokane’s Indians from his community could die from perhaps being beaten too harshly by an alcoholic parent. Take Rowdy’s abusive drunk of a father who continually beats both Rowdy and his mother for the littlest of things. This is but one example of the effect of alcoholism and violence in the normal. Readers can connect with such situation either directly through personal relation or via proxy. This evokes the emotion of sympathy and compassion while strengthening the connection between the reader and the characters.
Alexie presents an engaging and authentic coming of age story with themes which portray significant relevance to the real world today. It was mainly because of this relevance, that one was able to understand Junior’s character, connect with his journey and relate to the world he lived in and the characters around him. Alexie’s unique writing style, accompanied by the often irreverent humour and gripping themes has produced a masterpiece.