What does Junior realize about his own identity, his life and Rowdy (these are all different)?

Throughout the novel Junior realizes many things about his own identity and his life.  He also always compares his life to Rowdy’s life.  Junior transferred to Reardan knowing that would help him have a brighter future.  He knew he had to leave the rez to have any chance in life.  He also knew his best chance was in the white world.   “I realized I might be a lonely Indian boy, but I was not alone in my loneliness. ” (217).  Junior notices that he identifies with many groups of people and he knows that he is going to be ok.  By leaving the rez he learned that he could make friends with all different types of people and learned that he had something to contribute.

However, Junior has different predictions for Rowdy.  Rowdy chose to stay on the rez unlike Junior, and Junior sees where that life will lead him.  Rowdy understands this as well, “You’re an old time nomad” (230) he tells Junior.  This leads Junior to feel deep regret about leaving the rez.  Junior is torn about leaving his people and being confident in his ability to search for hope.  At the end of the book Rowdy and Junior play basketball and don’t keep score.  The no score keeping shows the score might be impossible to calculate just because their lives will be very different but they will still remain friends.

Interpret/explain/explore the context and significance of the last line of the book (230).

In the The Absolutely True Diary of A Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, the last line of the book represents the enjoyment of an amending friendship between Junior and Rowdy. In the beginning of the novel, Rowdy declares himself a foe to Junior after he announces his departure for Reardan. Rowdy has been unable to forgive Junior for the transition and discovers it even more challenging to amend the once inseparable bond. One day, Rowdy walks into Junior's house and requests him to play basketball. Together they practice for hours, however neither keeps track of the score, "We didn't keep score" (230). This illustrates how Rowdy and Junior are not playing to win the game. They are stepping up to issues in the past, and decide to play for friendship. This is evidently hinted as their competitiveness wanes towards the final pages.
Towards the end of the novel, Rowdy mentions reading a book about old-time Indians. When practicing basketball, Rowdy says to Junior, "'You're an old-time nomad…'" (230). Rowdy chooses to enjoy the remaining years as a friend to Junior, which demonstrates his forgiveness. He and Junior strive to parallelize each other. This small action will strengthen their friendship as it encourages internal growth for dealing with upturned relationships. Rowdy and Junior are exposing themselves to opportunities that will allow both to ameliorate their fractured friendship.

1) If you became Sherman Alexie and you were requested to write The Absolutely True Diary of A Part-Time Indian sequel, what would you write about? What would you name the book? What would be the theme, plot etc.?

2) Describe the flow of high's and low's for Junior and Rowdy throughout the story.

3) At the end of the novel, Rowdy walks into the door unexpectedly. What do you believe Rowdy was thinking about when he walked in?

4) Did you enjoy this story? Why or why not?

5) Did you like how Sherman Alexie ended the novel? Why or why not?

Interpret/explain/explore the context and significance of the last line of the book (230).

In the last page of the book I think something beautiful has happened. Rowdy and Jr. Make up and do the one thing that they both love and that is playing basketball. The last paragraph talks about how they play together and don't talk and play and lose time. They didn't keep track of the score which means that Rowdy and Arnold got over their rivalry and could just play together and have fun. Jr. Said that they "Played for hours". I think this is significant because both Jr. and Rowdy agree that they can be friends and play one on one and not argue which is a major turning point in the book because Rowdy and Jr. are friends again. I think this is the climax of the book because Jr. and Rowdy made up and I feel that it is the climax because this is what the story has been leading to. when Jr. Says "we didn't keep score" in the last line of the book it is really significant because both Arnold and Rowdy are friends enough to not even be competitive against each other. Being competitive is a huge part of both of their IDENTITIES. So they must really be friends if they didn't keep track.

Do you think that Rowdy change his mind or do you think that he was serious about just being bored and do you think Jr. is happy with the way life is?

PART 2: What does Rowdy say to Junior? Why does he say this? Do you think there is truth in this?

In the book, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, during pages, 209 - 211, Arnold talks to his old best friend, Rowdy, about the death of Arnold's sister.  Based on past events, Rowdy hates Arnold.  Arnold left the reservation to go to school at Reardan, because Arnold wants a better future fro himself and he believes that he will get one by doing so.  Rowdy gets extremely mad and punches Arnold in the face.  He yells at Arnold, "you always thought you were better than me!!!"  Rowdy has hated Arnold ever since.  After Arnold starts to attend Reardan, his sister, Mary, feels inspired to leave the reservation as well.  Soon, she meets this guy that she falls in love with.  They move to Montana and live in a crap trailer.  Way after these crazy events, Mary gets too drunk and burns to death with her husband.  After the burial ceremony, Arnold can't take all the deaths he has been through so he runs into the woods, only to find Rowdy spying on him.  Rowdy then gives him a lecture as to why Mary's death occurred, and blames it all on Arnold.  He says to Arnold, "your sister is dead because you left us.  You killed her."  Arnold hadn't thought about it this way before and then agree's with Rowdy.  He thinks to himself that Rowdy is 100% correct.  Actually, I kind of agree, but not exactly.  I think that it was Arnold's fault because his sister felt inspired by him to move away from the reservation.  Also, it wasn't his fault because if you keep going on with the cycle, you would get it is Junior's parents' fault because they created Arnold.  Then you would get its God's fault for creating the universe, and its also not Junior's fault because he has no control over how drunk people get.  Its not Junior's fault for being Indian where everyone gets drunk and killed in some way.  In all though, there is some truth involved with what Rowdy says to Junior.

Do you think that Rowdy should have kept his emotions to himself?  If so, do you think that Junior would have ever thought about the idea?
Do you think that Junior will ever recover from the idea?
Will Junior ever be face to face with Rowdy again? If so, will they make up?

Interpret/explain/explore the context and significance of the last line of the book (230).

On page 230 of The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian, the last line of the book is "We Didn't keep score." I think this symbolizes that no matter where Rowdy and Junior may be in the world, they will always be best friends and stay connected despite the fights between them because their friendship will be going forever. This also shows that both of them want to be friends. On page 228, Junior says, "I thought you hated me." My interpretation on this line is that both of them will be friends even if they think differently about each other. On page 183, Junior says,"I was playing to beat rowdy. Yep, I wanted to embarrass my best friend." In this case Junior thinks pessimistically about Rowdy and basically wants to kick is butt. He is enraged at this moment but he doesn't realize that he and Rowdy will still remain best friends. I also think when it says "we didn't keep score," that both of them didn't really care much about competition right now. Both of them just want each others company at this moment because it may not happen again. On page 229, Rowdy says, "I always knew you were going to leave. I always knew you were going to leave us behind and travel the world." Rowdy seems to have gotten rid of his anger and he is beginning to understand the reason for Junior's change in schools. Rowdy knows these moment might not come again but he will always stay in touch with Junior. We didn't keep score represents going on and on and Junior and Rowdy's lives will continue to go on and on but the bond between them will not break. Based on the book and Rowdy, do you think Junior will leave the reservation completely? Do you think the rivalry and competition between Junior and Rowdy is what has kept them together? Do you think Rowdy has gained any hope by Junior? Why or why not?

Summarize the outcome of the game. Why does Junior cry at the end? What does he realize? (179-198)

During the basketball game between Reardan and Wellpinit, in which Reardan was victorious, Junior cries because he realizes that the game is symbolic of life, the stronger team will be more victorious. After the game, Junior feels ashamed of wanting to beat Wellpinit because he notices that he had taken away their dreams of success. Junior realizes that all of the seniors on his team will be going to college offering them a better life, but all of the seniors on the Wellpinit team will be working on the reservation unable to attend college. Sherman Alexie uses the game to symbolize the vast differences in life; since Reardan won they have more opportunities because they are financially wealthier than Wellpinit who will continue to live on the reservation in poverty. Junior cries because he is “ suddenly ashamed of my anger, my rage, and my pain… I was crying tears of shame,” (196). Junior cries because he realizes that since the Wellpinit children were born into poverty without any opportunities because most of their parents are criminals, and drunks, unlike the Reardan parents. When Junior thought about the differences in the lives of a child from Reardan compared to the life of a child at Wellpinit it made him cry because of how bad the Indians conditions are and how important this game would have been for them. After the game against Wellpinit Junior realizes that the Reardan children have more opportunities because their parents care about them and their education, unlike the Wellpinit parents.

Do you think Junior will help other people on the reservation leave based on the guilt that he feels after the game?
Why do you think Sherman Alexie used the basketball game as symbol of the differences of the life style of a Reardan child and a Wellpinit child?
What do you think Junior would have done if Wellpinit had won the game? Would he have noticed the same things? Why? 

Summarize the cartoon on 182. What is the significance? What does it show about Junior? What is his dilemma?

Pages 179 to 198

On page 182, in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian, Sherman Alexie shows the reader in his cartoon, that Junior has a real issue. In the cartoon, you see Junior dribbling down the court with the ball in his hands.  In the Wellpinit gym, he is represented as a devil. Junior has   pointy shoes and horns on his head. Above the drawing the words “White Lover” are written. You can also see a word bubble that says “who am I?”. However, in the Reardan gym, he is characterized as an angel, with a large halo over his head and angel wings on his back. Behind him, the words “Destroy them, Arnold” are spelled out, as well as another word bubble “ who am I”. This cartoon is very significant for Arnold because if he is to find out who he really is, he must discover his true identity. This cartoon shows the reader that Junior does not quite know what community he really belongs to; the “rez” or Reardan. The dilemma is that Arnold feels more at home at Reardan when his real home is still at the reservation. He states that in this comment “ I’d always been the lowest Indian on the reservation totem pole-I wasn’t expected to be good so I wasn’t. But in Reardan, my coach and other players wanted me to be good. They needed to be good”{180}. This quote poses a problem for both his family and himself because if he feels more at home at Reardan he might lose some of his sense of culture, tradition, and most importantly family.

Will Arnold lose his roots?

Will Arnold ever feel at home at the reservation?

What do you consider to be your roots?

Do you consider them to be important?

Have you ever felt a moment when you felt more at home somewhere else then your actual home?

  

Pages 199-214

 In the pages 179-230 Junior laughs a lot, this is because instead of worrying about what bad has happened to him, like his sister's death. He hopes that the other people close to him are still alive and are not hurt. For example, Junior was more worried about his dad than his sister because he was worried that he might die on the way to pick him up from school. He laughs his brains out in the car because he is super duper happy that his dad is alive. In the book there is a quick skit of Junior laughing in the car because he was happy since his dad was alive. When Junior goes to see Rowdy after his sister’s death, Rowdy tells him that it is Juniors fault that his sister died. That since he left the reservation she left too in his footsteps. I think this is not totally wrong. This is because Junior’s sister had always lived in the basement and it was only when he left the reservation was when she left. She also left with not the best man and not the type of guy who you could love. She probably just took him as a ticket out of the reservation even though she persist she loves him. Also early in the book Sherman Alexie tries to tell us how both Junior and his sister’s escape from the reservation were similar. When Junior goes back to his school after his mourning over his sister. One of his obnoxious teachers who has no respect for him says he should not go to Rearden if he does not attend the school that often. The class replies by throwing down their books and marching out. Junior then realized what the two actual groups in the world were. The group of good people and the group of ass-holes. He has now truly understood what is going on and now his identity has grown a lot.

Do you think Rowdy will ever want to deal with Junior again after Junior’s sister’s death? Do you think that his grandmother inspired him to realize the two groups of people in this world? Do you think that Rowdy’s comment about Junior is false or correct?

Summarize the cartoon on 182. What is the significance? What does it show about Junior? What is his dilemma?

On page 182 of The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian, Sherman Alexie uses a cartoon to express how Junior has to switch identities between Reardan and the rez. On the rez, he feels beaten down, rejected and demonized by his friends and family for transferring schools; this is depicted by showing himself as a “devil”. He blames himself for all the tragedy that has occurred, reasoning that his sister’s death would not have happened if he had not inspired her to leave, and therefore views himself negatively when the people on the rez make him feel guilty about his choice. On the other hand, in the Reardan section he creates the image of himself as an “angel”, representing how he feels appreciated and needed in the Reardan community. This is supported by the quote he uses on page 180, when he is puzzling out why he performs so much better in Reardan than he did on the rez (for basketball). He finally arrives at the conclusion, “I mean, I’d always been the lowest Indian on the reservation totem pole- I wasn’t expected to be good so I wasn’t. But in Reardan, my coach and the other players wanted me to be good. They needed me to be good. So I became good” (180). The cartoon continues with the undercurrent theme of identity and hope that has been running through the entire novel; he is weighing the pros and cons of living in Reardan versus living on the rez, a continuous dilemma he has struggled with since the beginning. Junior feels he has to choose sides, that he cannot experience the best of both worlds at the same time.

Although at first glance the cartoon seems to show how the “Reardan” Junior and the “rez” Junior are complete opposites, one a devil and one an angel, more subtle details of the drawing indicate otherwise.

A key element of the cartoon that could be easily overlooked is how in BOTH Reardan and the rez, Junior is having the same thoughts; “Who am I?” In both situations, Junior feels like something is missing, that he is not completely himself. In the rez, he is withheld from reaching his full ability and is not accepted by the people around him. As Mr. P put it in the beginning of the novel, “‘The only thing you kids are being taught is how to give up’” (42). In Reardan, he gives up his background; he is missing those previous 14 years of living on the rez, which plays a huge role in Junior’s identity. All of the cultural values of the rez, whether about sticking together as a family or how you are supposed to act, disappear when he enters Reardan.  

If Junior drew a picture of himself playing basketball at the end of the novel, what do you think it would look like? Would he be in Reardan or in the rez or both? Would he be an angel or a devil? What would he look like? Why? Explain.

How do you think Junior’s step in transferring to Reardan will affect the relationship between Reardan and the rez? Will it change how Indians think about whites and how whites think about Indians?

In the last sentence on page 167, Junior says: "And all of us laughed as we walked and drove and rode our way back to our lonely, lonely houses." What is the irony in this? Why is this such a powerful moment for Junior? What is he saying about his tribe?

When Junior and the rest of the rez were lowering Junior's coffin into the ground they all start laughing. To the people on the rez, "laughing and shedding tears are pretty much the same thing" (166). The reason why all of them laughed instead of just Junior's family is because in the Indian culture "each funeral was a funeral for all of us. We lived and died together." (166 ) The irony of this is that people are laughing at a very sad moment, although it maybe a tradition to the people on the rez, to people outside the rez it may seem a little bit out of the ordinary. Another reason why this phrase is ironic is because they are going back to their "lonely houses". But if the whole entire rez is one big family, no matter where you are you should never feel lonely. This moment is powerful for Junior because one of his closest relatives is now dead. Aside from his immediate family, he only had Rowdy and his Grandma. When his Grandma dies the whole entire tribe came to her funeral, when you go to a funeral you go there to show respect the dead and give support to their family. Junior is saying that even though it may seem that the whole entire rez hates him, they do still care about him when it matters most. After Junior's Grandma died, the tribe stopped nagging him every time he passed by. 

Do you think the tribe will forgive Junior after his Grandma's tragic death? Do you think this incident will affect Junior and Rowdy's relationship? How will this affect Junior in the future?

Why does Junior say he would always love his tribe? What do you think this reveals about Junior?

Although Junior goes to Reardan, he still loves his tribe and will not forget where he comes from. Reardan is so important to Junior because going to Reardan means he has the possibility of success, making it more likely that he will not end up like his dad, drunk and poor.  Junior knows somewhere inside of him there is hope; Reardan is Junior’s hope. Except, if Junior was to stay on the reservation, he would have a very hard time finding hope, unlike at Reardan. Not many understand why anyone would want to leave the reservation (their home). If Junior did not go to Reardan, than he would have to stay on the reservation, and turn hopeless like everyone else has. Junior himself pictures transferring as an opportunity for him. Ever since he started going to Reardan (an all white school besides Junior) the whole tribe has been upset with him. Especially because many Indians stick together, Junior acts as an outsider to them, almost going against the norm. In the  following quote, Junior expresses how he feels about going between two different worlds, “I was half Indian in one place and half white in the other” (118). This shows how Junior does not feel like he belongs or fits in anywhere. Junior is not switching schools in a way to be offending and crushing his tribe, but to have a better education there at Reardan. The others on the reservation seem to be jealous of Junior. Junior is one of the first to have the guts to switch to a school farther away from the reservation. Junior feels some pressure and responsibility to make sure that he is forgiven by his friends and family, which is shown by sharing how he loves his tribe. In the quote below, Gordy explains to Junior how, “‘Life is a constant struggle between being an individual and being a member of the community’” (32). As an individual, Junior is taking advantage of the opportunity presented to him, while as a member of both his tribe and the Reardan community, Junior is trying to fit in and not be such an outsider.

Do you think Junior will ever forget his tribe and become “more white”?

Do you think that Junior is betraying his tribe?

Do you think there is a lot more hope for Junior to find or has he already found it?

Why does Junior say he would always love his tribe? What do you think this reveals about Junior?

Junior said he would always love his tribe because they gave him peace and time to grieve on the day of his grandmother's funeral. On page 160 Junior said, “No matter what else happened between my tribe and me, I would always love them for giving me peace on the day of my grandmother’s funeral”.  He said this because since the day he left the reservation school to go to Reardan, he had gotten so much disrespect and hatred from many Indians on his reservation. It all stopped on the day of his grandmother's funeral. Indians on the rez had respect for his grandmother, she was a good hearted women and was very wise. As it showed in previous chapters, Junior's grandmother was very understanding. She always helped junior with his problems and could relate to them in some way. Although, I don’t think this was the only reason why he stopped getting ignored and pushed away by the Indians. Another reason why the Indians gave him peace was because they always stick together. “I mean, I was still the kid who betrayed the tribe.... But I was also the kid who lost his grandmother. And everybody knew that losing my grandmother was horrible”. (159) Many Indians on the rez have gone through tough things, including deaths. They want to support Junior through this tough period in his life. This reveals that Junior feels a part of his tribe because they are slowly gaining more respect for him and his choices.

Do you think Junior learns anything about his identity during this time? Do you think this makes Junior feel more apart of the reservation again? How did this affect Junior?

In Red Versus White what does Junior realize about parents?

In the chapter, "Red Versus White," Junior realizes that even though Indian parents can't always give their kids everything that white parents can, and even though Junior's dad is an alcoholic, Indian parents are always there. On page 153, Junior says, "On the rez, you know every kids father...". This shows how parents on the rez don't ignore there kids and are present. "...those white dads can disappear without even leaving the room." (153). This is ironic because it shows how even though rich white parents can get their kids the newest sneakers and a fancy watch whereas Indian parents give their kids a five dollar bill for Christmas, white parents sometimes don't even provide the simplest thing: being there for their kids. "...best of all, [my parents] listen to me." (153). This quote shows how Arnold can depend on his mom and dad, even though they are poor Indians. They are always there for him and are good parents despite all of that.

What makes Junior realize this? Why does Junior suddenly see how good his parents are just after his dad came home and gave him five dollars for Christmas? Do you think Arnold wished he had white parents before? How does this show Arnold's identity? What is Sherman Alexie showing us about the rez community?

What was Junior’s grandmother’s greatest gift? What has happened to Indians’ sense of tolerance? Why has that occurred?

Junior’s grandmother’s greatest gift was tolerance. Not all of the Indians had tolerance, so this made her special. Once the white people showed up and took over, the Indians were pushed around too much. “Of course, ever since white people showed up and brought along their Christianity and their fears of eccentricity, Indians have gradually lost all of their tolerance” (155). The Indians lost their sense of tolerance because they cracked under pressure. If you keep on hammering away at a castle with a needle, eventually, perhaps thousands of years later, that castle will be destroyed by that tiny thing. Everything will wear down eventually, and when the whites came and drove the Indians off of their land, they couldn’t bear it in the end. But Junior’s grandmother stuck to her "old-time Indian spirit" (155), and so she cares for everyone, not being as judgmental and hateful as a white person. Her identity is a very traditional, thoughtful, and loving Indian grandma.

How does his grandmother’s gift personally affect Junior and his identity? Has it affected his family? If so, how? Do you think there is any foreshadowing? How can his grandmother’s gift affect herself badly? Speaking of accepting people for who they are and not judging based on personality or appearance, do you think any of the white people at Reardan have that "old-time Indian spirit" in them as well?

Ar-nold Sucks!

I think that Junior made the team because of his warrior mentality. I think that the first sign of this is when Junior took on Roger in tryouts, “‘Roger’s a big kid’ (Coach) said. ‘He’s huge (Arnold) said. ‘You want to take him on again? Or do you need a break?’ Ninety percent of me wanted to take a break. But I knew if I took a break I wouldn’t make the team.” (140). I think that this shows how he refuses to back down and surrender no matter what the odds are. He knows what he has to do, which is make the team, and he fights his way on.

Once he gets on the team, more adversity comes his way as he plays the rez high school in the first game. He is ruthlessly taunted by the crowd and showed hatred from his own people. They yell “Arnold sucks!” (143) repeatedly and yell abusive things at him.  The coach is very scared about what may happen throughout the course of the game and calls Arnold over, “‘Are you okay?’ (coach) asked. ‘No’ (Arnold) said. ‘You don’t have to play this one,’ (coach) said. ‘Yes, I do” (Arnold) said’”. This shows how Arnold reacted to the crowd, he knew he would get utterly abused if he cowardly didn’t play and he would have let the abuse get to him, which is exactly what the fans wanted.

1. How did Junior make the basketball team? In what ways was this related to his conversation with his dad earlier?

2. Who is the first game against? How is he treated by the crowd at the first game? How does the team (and coach) react/support him? How does this impact him?

3. In “Red Versus White” what does Junior realize about parents? What is the irony?

4. What was Junior’s grandmother’s greatest gift? What has happened to Indians’ sense of tolerance? Why has that occurred?

5. Free response/guiding question: Will Rowdy ever reunite with Junior? Even after the incident?

The Truth Unfolds

Free response/guiding question


In the Chapter "Dance Dance Dance" Junior feels that he needs to keep pretending that he is poor and has now made a cartoon about how to avoid showing that you are poor and it does have some power behind it if you think about it. It shows how much he goes through almost everyday to try and be the least bit normal. He musters enough money to go to the dance and Penelope did something very nice and made him feel good about his suit and he then quoted "It was the best time of his life" and by the end of the dance he was happy and had at least one more friend. His identity really changed in this chapter as well because when they go to the diner he admits that he is poor and he learns that people like him for who he is not what he seems to be and I think that will stick with him for a long time if not forever. I wonder what Earl was think letting Penelope go with arnold because the chapter before he had threatened him. I think Earl knew that other people were going to and that changed his opinion or he realized it was time for his daughter to grow up. When junior tries to make up with Rowdy in the next chapter I guess it kind of worked because rowdy sent him something that he  would do even if they were friends so I think Rowdy is making an effort to. I think this is leading to them making up but I think there will be still some turbulence. Do you think that they will be friends? Do you think that things have now changed for the better and will stay that way? Do you think that Arnold will still have his friends aven though they know he is poor?

In what ways does Junior feel he needs to "pretend"? Why is this so difficult for Junior?

Junior has to pretend that he is middle class rather than poor and stuck in poverty.  In the chapter, Dance, Dance, Dance, Junior’s lies start to become unusable.  He realizes this, “Of course, you can’t lie forever. Lies have short shelf lives.  Lies go bad.  Lies rot and stink up the joint.” (119)  Junior has pretended to have money since he transferred to Reardan so people would be friends with him for his personality, not because they pity him.  So far he has been able to avoid showing how poor he is by coming up with different lies and excuses.  When the Winter Formal happens he cannot use his list of standard lies because he is afraid Penelope would go to the dance with somebody else. Junior cannot pay for gas, for food, for photos, or refreshments because he has no money.  He has to wear his dad’s old suit, a 1970’s polyester disco suit.  However, Penelope likes the suit and Junior did some funny dance moves.  Everybody thought the suit was a choice and they loved it.

However, this becomes a problem when Roger and a group of other kids go out for pancakes after the dance.  Junior ordered a lot of food and he couldn’t enjoy it because he was lying so often it was starting to make him feel like throwing up.  Roger realizes that he is sick and in the process realizes the truth. Junior does not realize that Roger knows he’s poor, “I thought about telling him the whole truth, but I just couldn’t.” (126)  After Roger lends him money Roger tells Penelope.  Penelope asks him about it and he confesses to her that he is poor.  He is still lying that his dad is coming to get him but Penelope catches him in the lie and Junior confesses the truth again.  Roger started giving Junior rides home to prevent Junior from walking twenty two miles. Roger made it impossible to lie to him and Penelope, which is a good thing. This is the second time Roger surprised Junior, the first being his reaction after Junior hit him for saying something extremely racist against Indians.  Junior learned he had two true friends in Penelope and Roger.  This is a better foundation for a friendship rather than a friendship based on lies. Do you think Junior will be able to tell the truth with everybody else at Reardan, or do you think he will still pretend to be middle class? Do you think pretending to have money was helpful to Junior in the first place? Do you think people make friends based on their economic status?

On page 111, Penelope says "'I hate this little town. It's so small…'" What does this suggest about Penelope's and/or other white people's view of the world?

In The Absolutely True Diary of A Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie, Penelope reveals that people of any race may feel constrained within a community and that one should not allow it to suppress their own beliefs. Penelope and Junior have developed a relationship. At school, she confronts Arnold and explains her opinions towards Reardan, "'I hate this little town.…The people here have small ideas'" (111). This shows that there are always constraints in the world. Penelope tells Junior her opinion about Reardan to show that even white people face suppression when following their dreams. She suggests that all humans were born to face obstacles. Junior has already taken a stab at defying his predicted future by transferring to Reardan. He has successfully transferred, though is still working to polish his appearance. Sherman Alexie includes this quote from Penelope to teach Junior that occasionally the world will make him feel it's turning against him. It encourages him to remain obdurate during times of little leeway and discretion.

Along with Mary's marriage and escape, this scene prompts Arnold to recognize his own dreams and challenge them. He begins to see the beauty of expression, "…there was no way Penelope and I were going to sit still. Nope, we both wanted to fly" (112). This quote illustrates that both Penelope and Junior feel as if they are restrained from being successful because of their family history, and current status. Through his discussion with Penelope, he learns to accept what has been constructed and how go beyond what has been fixed in the past. He commences this deep metamorphosis of character by liking Penelope. He isn't scared of liking a white girl, something his ancestors could never do. He finds the moxie in his soul to break boundaries and oppose limitations that were once believed to be unalterable.

1)  Junior never states what he dreams of being. He seems to have little decision yet. Create an imaginary/what you think he would be (that is appropriate) dream job/occupation for Junior.
2) How do you think Penelope and Junior's relationship will unfold?
3) Do you think Penelope's relationship is producing a positive or negative effect on Junior? Why?
4) Sherman Alexie describes a world of suppression, and racism. How does this relate to our world, BB&N or who has the ability to follow their dreams?

The Love Grows

While Junior is having thanksgiving with his family he asks his dad, “Hey, dad, what do Indians have to be so thankful for?”(102). His dad replies by saying that they are thankful for not being killed by all the whites. This is very ironic because white people think quite the opposite, they think that Indians are dangerous and that they should not be messed with at all. When Junior goes to Rowdy, he is met by Rowdy’s dad who lies to him about Rowdy being home. Junior had brought a comic and gives it to Rowdy’s dad who does not even have the courtesy of letting Junior inside. This tells the reader that Rowdy wants no part with Junior and does not want to see him. Then Junior sees Rowdy looking at him through the window as he is leaving. Junior also sees the comic in Rowdy’s hand not torn up and in one piece. This means that Rowdy might be calming down after hitting Junior.

At the end of the reading when Junior emails Rowdy for some life advice about Penelope Rowdy replies; “I’m sick of Indian guys who treat white women like bowling trophies”(115). This is literally saying that Junior is a very racist person. Junior for some reason takes this quite lightly and resorts to asking Gordy who gives a similar reply saying that Junior is a racist. Junior is now being told repeatedly the same answer. I think that Junior is not a Racist even though an article says otherwise. This is because Junior is the one who is trying to be a part of something new and that is trying to blend in with a group of people with different skin color. He is a person who is quite the opposite of racist. In this chapter, I think Junior’s identity matured more and became more aware of things. This is because Juniors is officially Penelope's boyfriend and he is taking that as a very serious relationship.

Do you think Rowdy is beginning to forgive Junior? Do you think that Juniors relationship with Penelope can go farther? Do you think that Penelope's dad will beat up Junior? Do you think Junior’s sister will ever return after the letter they have received of her having the time of her life?

Explain/respond/interpret these quotes:            

“My sister’s spirit hadn’t been killed” (91).            

“If you’re good at something, and you love it, and it helps you navigate the world, then it can’t be   wrong” (95).

In the novel The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, the quote “My sister’s spirit hadn’t been killed” (91) represents that she was always alone and she wan under pressure in the reservation. She didn't completely give up because she was determined to make something of her own life by herself. She took a risk by running away on her own but it was worth it because the reservation always seemed to depress her and keep her away. "This reservation had tried to suffocate her, had kept her trapped in a basement, and now she was roaming the huge grassy fields of Montana" (91). This shows that she always had little hope to do something about her life. On page 90 there's a quote, "She said he wasn't afraid to gamble everything, and that was the kind of man she wanted to spend her life with." This quote symbolizes that after all the depression, the sister wants to marry a fearless guy because that would lead her into adventure from her boring life. The sister saw a spirit within this man which was courageous and she knew she would be safe.

My second quote is, "If you’re good at something, and you love it, and it helps you navigate the world, then it can’t be   wrong” (95). I think this represents that if you have love or a passion for something and you do it, then it will make you happy. This happiness will create hope. Relating this to Junior, drawing cartoons helps him connect to the world in his way, and this relaxes him down from any tension. Also, when Gordy says "helps you navigate the world," it means that each person has their own way to understand and connect with the world and there's no perfect way. For junior it will be drawing. The quote, "I take them seriously. I use them to understand the world. I use them to make fun of the world. To make fun of people" (95) represents that drawing cartoons can create hope because making fun of people makes you feel better about yourself. Junior also draws to make him feel good which creates some hope. 

Do you think this backup hope will be helpful to Junior? Do you think Gordy will help in boosting Junior's hope?What do you feel about Junior's sister in Montana and do you think it was a good decision she took?   

    

On pages 82-84, Junior explains how alone he feels. Why does he feel this way? How does what happened in science class reinforce this feeling?

On pages 82-84 in the book, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian, Junior explains to the reader that he feels extremely lonely.  He does this by telling the reader that he doesn't feel like a normal human.  He says, "In fact, if you think of everybody with a body, soul, and brain as human, then I was the opposite of human,"(83).  He feels this way because everyone else does their best to stay away from him.  No one talks or looks at him at all in school.  At first, he compares himself to a zombie, but then realizes that everyone would actually notice him if he was a zombie.  So then he corrects himself and compares himself to nothing. Loneliness comes from your heart needing company.  The disappearance of Rowdy (their relationship) does not help the situation at all.  Rowdy was his only friend, therefore he no longer has any friends to keep is heart accompanied.  One day during science class, Junior actually gains the guts to participate in class, but he actually speaks out against the teacher.  Junior explains to the science teacher, Mr. Dodge, that petrified wood actually isn't real wood.  He continues to explain how minerals take the place of wood.  Mr. Dodge is furious because Junior is contradicting him and doesn't believe a word that Junior says.  The class laughs at Junior after Mr. Dodge says this to him, "Where did you learn this fact?  On the reservation?  Yes, we all know there's so much amazing science on the reservation."  This makes Junior feel even more lonely/apart from everyone else.  Later on in the class, the "class genius", Gordy, lets the class know that Junior is actually correct.  After class, Junior says thanks to Gordy for sticking up for him but Gordy is nasty and doesn't accept Junior's thanks. This makes him feel even more lonely because Mr. Dodge thanked Gordy for correcting him and doesn't even say a word to Junior.

What do you think Junior could do to attract some of the kids' attention?
What do you think Junior could do to fit into the Reardan community a little bit more?
Do you think that if Rowdy had transferred to Reardan, Junior would feel as lonely?  Why?
Do you think that Gordy and Junior's relationship would have became stronger if he had just said no problem?  If so, how so?
How does loneliness affect Junior's identity?

Why is Junior hesitant to tell Rowdy? Why does he tell him? How does Rowdy react? Why does he react this way?

       

·           In the novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, Junior makes the decision after meeting with Mr. P to switch schools to Reardan. Junior is hesitant to tell Rowdy because he is scared that it will affect their friendship, but he tells Rowdy because he wants Rowdy to trust him. Rowdy reacts by attacking Junior because he wants Junior to feel the pain he is feeling.  Junior is scared that Rowdy will be furious with him because he is Rowdy’s only friend. Without Rowdy, Junior will not be safe because he will have no one to protect him. Junior decides to tell Rowdy that he is switching school because he feels like Rowdy would be even angrier with him if he didn’t tell Rowdy he was leaving. At first, when Junior tells Rowdy that he is leaving the reservation Rowdy doesn’t believe him, but when Junior continues to tell him that he is leaving Rowdy starts to believe him. Once Rowdy fully understood and believed Junior, he was furious. When Junior tells Rowdy that he is leaving Rowdy says '”You better quit saying that,’ he said. ‘Your getting me mad.’” (49). This shows how Rowdy cares about Junior and how he doesn’t want Junior to leave because then he will be an outsider. Rowdy punched Junior in the eye and attacked him because he could only feel pain.  Sherman Alexie wants to show the reader Rowdy’s pain and how he feels like Dally did when Johnny died in the book The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton because Johnny was the one thing that Dally cared for and Junior is the one thing that Rowdy cares for. When Rowdy yells at Junior he starts to cry and then scream, this is Juniors reaction to it, “It was the worst thing I’d ever heard. It was pain, pure pain,” (52). Sherman Alexie wants to show the reader that Junior is the one this that Rowdy cares about, the one thing that Rowdy has hope for. Junior cares about his friendship with Rowdy greatly and the last thing that he wants to do is end it, but he had no choice but to leave the reservation because he was different and he belonged somewhere else.                                                                           

Do you think Rowdy's reaction was reasonable?
      Do you think Junior will be able to forget about Rowdy and make new friends? 
      If Rowdy and Junior were to see each other in the future do you think they will be able to forgive each other? Why?
      Do you think that Junior shouldn't have told Rowdy? Why or why not?

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