In a diary narration style, the novel explores themes of racism, classism, bullying, alcoholism, and cultural appropriation. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie Start Free Trial Chapter Summaries Questions & Answers Themes Characters Analysis Multiple-Choice Quizzes PDF Downloads Lesson. Alexie tells the story of Junior, a 14-year old boy growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Some of the sexual aspects and other inappropriate dynamics are placed into the text for satirical effects, as well, which is part of the author’s attempt to expose students to the realities of life on a reservation, framed in a fictitious manner so as to enable conversations from a hypothetical standpoint, as opposed to the historical accuracy that comes without debate. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is loosely based on author Sherman Alexie s life. When Alexie disclaims that the book is fictional, the topics are all hypothetical, despite their realistic similarities to life on a reservation.įrom the perspective of parents, “Parents were adamant in their support of the eighth-grade teachers’ decision to prioritize engagement in reading, along with the accompanying decision to introduce into classroom communities books that pushed the boundaries” thus, as aforementioned, the educational exposure and growth opportunities for students outweigh potentially “inappropriate” aspects of the book (Ivey 148). When students pay attention to these aspects, the conversations, though difficult for students and teachers to engage, are valid and opened via the book. When students read this book, students ought to pay attention to the topics of the book that are difficult to converse, like poverty, discrimination, sexual aspects including masturbation and also assault (as accused of the author, himself). Realistically fictitious, the dynamic that the main character, an Indian boy on a reservation, faces within the story is one that supposedly relates to the real experiences of an Indian on a reservation. Whether or not the book is absolutely true is a debate, but the debate is worth having thus, the portrayal within the book is valid for high schoolers to read.

The absolutely true diary of an indian