A partial autobiography The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian follows Junior, a young Indian, as he navigates life. He experiences problems with the residents of his reserve because he attends school there, and they bully him and treat him even worse whenever he departs. They torment him and see him as a race traitor. At Junior’s new school, his white students are not particularly kind to him because they see him as an outsider. Since its publication, the book has faced numerous inquiries about its suitability for young readers. Due to its use of violence and bullying, some of the intended readers are turned off, while some older adults find the entire plot to be too obscene for any reader. But what makes the entire story so potent and significant is how honest it is. Sherman appeals to teenagers by giving things that teenagers do that are considered inappropriate by society a humorous spin. This argument makes the case that the tale should not be banned from the curriculum since it teaches young readers valuable life lessons, promotes love, and offers new perspectives.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian provides children with new perspectives of the world, which is the first justification for keeping it on the school curriculum. One of its perspectives is an insight into the underprivileged. On the Spokane Indian Reservation, tragedy frequently occurred as a result of poverty. However, many kids nowadays have never even known poverty. As a result, their understanding of what it is to be poor is limited. The author has used humor to lighten the tone of the subject while still highlighting the tragedy of poverty. As an illustration, “Poverty = empty refrigerator + empty stomach” (Alexie and Forney 7). School children learn more about poverty and develop a greater sense of empathy for the disadvantaged because of this hilarious and imaginative approach.
Another significant perspective presented in the book is that of the Indian identity and its relation to others. The author acknowledges the disadvantage that Indians face on a social and institutional level but avoids generalizing about other races by remaining objective. Junior comes to the realization that even White people have a positive side, “If you let people into your life a little bit, they can be pretty damn amazing” (Alexie and Forney 108). This basically teaches the kids that when they get to know each other better, they realize that people of different races are not that different.
The second reason the book should not be banned is that it instills in children a strong sense of the importance of love. The most significant kind is between Junior and his family. Junior’s parents were alcoholics and destitute, yet they never once beat him. Even though this would seem insignificant to the average reader, when it is considered in the context of the reservation where parent drinking and child abuse were major issues, readers start to understand the great love that Junior’s parents portrayed. For instance, “He could have spent that five bucks and stayed drunk for another day or two. But he saved it for me” (Alexie and Forney 125). Although Junior’s parents were far from perfect, the readers can still feel their love and pride for him, which is the key factor in his success in the new school and his ability to leave the reserve.
The friendship between Junior and Rowdy, which is about two lonely people finding solace in one another, is another kind of love. Friendship provided Junior the strength to forgive at the book’s conclusion, “For a second, I thought about saying no. I thought about telling him to bite my ass. I thought about making him apologize. But I couldn’t. He was never going to change” (Alexie and Forney 190). The lessons learned through the stories of friendship and forgiveness will have a significant positive impact on readers’ lives.
The fact that the book acts as a source of motivation for kids who are perceived as underdogs in their own lives is a justification for why it should not be banned. Junior’s story starts out with little promise, “we reservation Indians don’t get to realize our dreams. We don’t get those chances. Or choices. We’re just poor. That’s all we are” (Alexie and Forney 11). Even though Junior’s existence seemed to make it impossible for him to leave the reserve, he persisted. He explained to his parents instead, “No, if I don’t go now, I never will. I have to do it now” (Alexie and Forney 39). This teaches the readers that the best course of action is to act right away if they want to achieve something in their lives. Today’s school children are in dire need of such a lesson because they are frequently so overloaded with chances and options that they are unaware of the value of commitment.
Additionally, because it introduces school children to the important topic of pain, the book is also motivational for them. After attending 42 funerals, Junior came to the realization that everyone is susceptible to pain “We all have pain. And we all look for ways to make the pain go away. In the middle of a crazy and drunk life, you have to hang on to the good and sober moments tightly” (Alexie and Forney 178). One of the most crucial lessons the book may provide to its readers is how to cope with sorrow by trying to look on the bright side of things. The earlier children learn about pain, the better they are equipped to deal with it, thus they should not be kept out of such a lesson. The book is simply too significant to be banned due to its inspiration for positive change and action.
The book’s content may make some people uneasy, and they may claim that it ought to be banned because of its profanity, sexual allusions, or bullying. These characteristics in the context, nonetheless, contribute to the book’s authenticity. For instance, the claim “I am really just a poor-ass reservation kid living with his poor-ass family on the poor-ass Spokane Indian Reservation” (Alexie and Forney 7). The phrase is possibly more in line with the way the Spokane reservation children speak. A significantly richer context for the story is created by using poor-ass rather than just poor. The book only offers the readers a fresh viewpoint so they can understand various ways of thinking. The book’s major themes are family love, race, friendship, and overcoming hardships and suffering. Teenage masturbation, verbal or physical bullying, or religions are not even close to being the main focus.
In conclusion, the book presents a fair view of race without making negative assumptions, enabling young readers of all races to grasp the notions of racial equality, poverty, and reservations as abstract ideas. Additionally, it encourages readers of all ages to love and be positive in their outlook on life, which is an important life lesson. Even though there have been complaints about the book’s language and obscenity, the majority of it really adds to its genuineness. Young readers are wise enough not to take up or emulate the negativity based on the book’s core themes and principles because the positive qualities far outweigh the negative ones.
Work Cited
Alexie, Sherman, and Ellen Forney. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Recorded Books, 2008.