In the novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Alexie Sherman, Mr. P (one of Arnold’s teachers) pulls Arnold aside to have a conversation with him. In that conversation Mr. P confesses about beating up Indian students in the past. In his confession to Arnold he brings up the quote “We were supposed to kill the Indian to save the child” (35), which has a big significance to the book. This phrase does not a have a literal meaning, it figuratively means that in the past, teachers at Arnold’s school were supposed to beat Indian kids up so that they would lose their culture. The main theme of the book is Arnold trying to find his identity. Culture is a big part of finding your identity, it makes you part of who you are. For example, in the Jewish religion, once boys reach the age of thirteen they have a “Bar Mitzvah”. A Bar Mitzvah is a ceremony that tells the boy that he is now a man and is responsible for his own actions. In the beginning of the book Alexie Sherman is really trying to establish the fact that Arnold is struggling to find his identity. One way that he shows this is by adding this quote into the story. This quote is telling the reader that one of the reasons why Arnold is struggling to find his identity is due to white people such as Mr. P trying to eradicate the Indian Culture.
Why do you think Mr. P and other teachers at the Rez were trying to kill the Indian Culture? Do you think as the story progresses Arnold will find his identity through culture?
If so, how? Do you think culture helps someone find his/her identity?
I think that Mr. P and other teachers at the Rez are killing the indian inside people because they don't want them to be that way. They want them to be respectful to all the white students and know that the are lesser to them. I think as the story progresses Arnold will loose his way in the poverty and the molding he is in. Arnold I think will loose his cultural background so that he can have a life out of the reservation.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Mr.P and other past teachers at the reservation are trying to kill the Indian Culture because they can't quite understand the American Indians dreams and values. I do not believe that as the story progresses Junior will find his identity through culture because at this point in time the Indian culture going through bad times which is leading Arnold to think that being poor is an everlasting self fulfilling prophecy. I believe that Arnold with find his identity through hope and believing in himself.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the white teachers were in fact trying to kill the culture perhaps for no specific reason. They don't understand the difficulties of being an Indian. Being an Indian requires extreme mental strength and endurance, because of the poverty cycle that all the Indians go through, especially those like Junior. I think that the teachers of the reservation still feel the same way, but either have become too old to care enough or just not take any part what so ever because they realize that they don't understand it, but then there is Mr. P. He realizes and understand the difficulties that these specific Indian kids go through every single day. Mr. P can not do anything about it though. The only thing that an old man that understands the situation can do, is to inform the people like Junior that there still is hope outside the reservation, they just need to take the risk and find that hope.
ReplyDeleteI think that the white teachers were trying to culturally assimilate the indians and make them act like whites. I think that this has changed Mr. P because he reliazes the pain the it is when somebody tries to change your ways. I think that Junior must find his identity, a poor indian or a white-ish indian that believes he can become rich. I foresee Arnold becoming very successful and enduring in the new school.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Mr. P. I believe that the teachers on the Rez were trying to kill the Indian culture. I think they did that they could finally think of themselves as superior if they were the only culture there. I don't think that Arnold will we able to find his identity through his culture. I don't think that he can do that because he needs to get of the Rez in order to have a successful life. That is because on the Rez people don't try hard enough to have good lives. That is why I think he cannot find his identity through his culture. I think a culture can help someone find their identity but it depends on the culture.
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