Sherman Alexie Journey

In Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, the main character Arnold “Junior” Spirit undergoes a lot of ups and downs mentally. He is a 14-year-old Spokane Indian. Due to his health problems, he lacks the self-esteem needed to be successful. The Spokane Indian Reservation, in Wellpinit, Washington, suffers from poverty. One of the problems which force most Indians to give up on their hopes and dreams. The first few chapters, Junior describes how dismal his life on the reservation was compared to other Indians. Junior fears he will end up being stuck on the reservation just like his parents. The poverty forces Junior to leave the reservation in hopes of a new and better life. While growing up on the reservation, Junior’s health condition makes his young life miserable. “I was born with water in the brain” (Alexie,1), a condition for which surgery is required. As a result of the surgery, Junior had a large head, was forced to wear glasses, and gained a lisp. These attributes made a lot of Indians tease and beat up Junior. Junior would spend most of his time in his room to escape the bullies. Because of this Junior became skilled at drawing and writing. The effect of poverty within the Indian reservation was detrimental to the Indian’s lifestyles. Alexie describes the
Junior went through a lot of positive and negative thinking. His positive thinking came from him pursuing his dreams. While, his negative thinking was due to the depressed lifestyles of the Indians on his reservation and their addiction to alcohol. Alexie prompts people to show tolerance and kindness to all. The hopelessness that Junior saw in his parent’s eyes made him want to find a better life and his grandmother helped guide him on his way. The importance of role models on young adults greatly benefits the young adults’ self-confidence and