Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian

Alexie, S. (2009).  Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian.  New York, NY:  Little, Brown and Company.

I liked how this was a story of an underdog, and his fight to find himself, break the circle, friendship, and life.  We were all underdogs at one point. The story is about an Indian boy named Junior.  After knowing only life on the reservation, and having only one real friend, Junior sets of to find himself and break the cycle of the reservation.  Junior goes to a good “white” school after his injured teacher tells him that they, the teachers, were there, not to improve the reservation Indians, but to keep them where they are.  Junior had demonstrated that he had higher expectations and values, and he should do whatever he could to meet them.  He finds himself not belonging anywhere, but through perseverance, and knowing and fighting for what he wanted, Junior succeeds.

During the championship game, Junior finally beats Rowdy, his one friend on the “Rez”, but after seeing them defeated, he realizes that he took something away from them.  He knows that he and most of his new friends will go on to college and live good lives, but he sees that this one moment would have been the biggest achievement that most of the reservation Indians will ever have, and he took it from them.  It really troubles him.  He should have let them have it.  Rowdy finally comes around and begins to be a friend to Junior and accepts him for who he is.