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Vy Hoang professor Dayharsh
EWRT 211
May,6,2015
Mon, Wed From Pity To Acceptant This Book “ The absolutely True Diary of a Part­Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie is about a boy called Arnold Spirit also as know as Junior. He is a Native American that lives in an Indian Reservation. He isn't really satisfied with his life because of his poverty and he even believes that he deserves to be poor. Also, he has multiple medical problems, and he has been always bully which makes him question his identity as an
American Indian making him unable to really accept who he is. However, when he starts to gain more friends in this new school, he starts to like and accept himself more than before. Ultimately this book, "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part­Time Indian" by
Sherman Alexie, is about Junior’s journey to accepting himself and embracing his culture while struggling with his peers.
Junior’s transition to his new school was extra difficult because it was hard for him to adapt. At first Junior was feeling down about himself. He was constantly beaten up, but luckily he was saved by his best friend, Rowdy. He had lisps and stutters which he had no self­confidence. When he made the decision to go to Reardan, a white school, even Rowley left him. Rowdy thought Junior was exposing their school by transferring so Rowdy starts to ignore him. Without his best friend, Junior lost hope. He

Hoang 2 was scared and afraid of the white people and did not expect them to welcome him or befriend. He was right. Most of the white Americans were cold to him. Many of the white people made fun of him, and when one guy, Roger, said "Did you know that Indians are living proof that niggers f*** buffalo?" (64) he felt that he had to stop it so he punched him.Even Though he knew that he would get a punch back because in the Indian
Reservation, he would've been beaten up, but then he was surprised that he didn’t.
Junior also did not know how to communicate well. Even one of the girls at school
Penelope also comment on that, "You talk so funny," (61). Not knowing how to communicate without punching, he couldn’t know how to fit in.
The process of adapting into his new surroundings of becoming easier when
Junior started making new friends. It first started with him finding Penelope in the bathroom barfing her guts out. He realizes that she is bulimic, and he comforts her, and they become friends. "Everybody is absolutely shocked that Penelope chose me to be her new best friend," (109), because he's an "absolute stranger" to Reardan, and also,
Penelope's dad is racist. Still, they become close friends and start dating. He also makes friends with Roger which is surprising, since Roger is friends of Penelope. Then when Junior made the basketball team, they become closer. Roger even gave Junior a ride home after a basketball game. Junior also become friends of a geek, Gordy. They were both understanding how it felt to not fit in. After making all these friends, he feels that he is starting to fit in with the white people.