the absolutely true diary of a part time indian by sherman alexie

Roger, a star athlete, makes a sickeningly racist joke, for which Junior punches him in the face. He admires a pretty girl named Penelope, but she makes fun of his name. Junior feels like a complete outsider at Reardan. Junior's parents are supportive of his decision, but Rowdy is furious - he starts to cry and then punches Junior in the face. P.'s advice and decides to transfer to Reardan, a school in a wealthier district about twenty miles away. He can see Junior's potential and tells his young student that the only way he will succeed is by getting off the reservation. shockingly apologizes instead for how he and other white teachers have systematically tried to force Indian children to assimilate into Western culture and encourage them to forget their own roots. Frustrated with the lack of educational resources available on the reservation, Junior hurls the textbook across the room and accidentally hits his teacher, Mr.

He is excited to start reading his geometry textbook until he opens the cover and realizes that he is supposed to be studying from the same exact book his mother used when she was in high school. To retaliate, Rowdy cuts the eyebrows and ponytails off Junior's attackers after they pass out.Īt school, Junior is one of the few students who is genuinely interested in learning. There, a group of drunk men beat Junior up. Junior runs to his friend Rowdy, who attempts to cheer him up by suggesting they visit a local powwow. The only way to put Oscar out of his misery, then, is for Junior's father to shoot the poor creature.

He is devastated when his pet dog, Oscar, becomes ill from heat stroke and his family does not have enough money for a veterinary visit. Junior's family is poor, Junior explains, and the worst thing about poverty is that he cannot do anything about it. In addition, his large skull, awkward lisp, and thick glasses have made him the victim of bullying from his tribe members - teenagers and adults alike. He was born with hydrocephalus (water in the brain), which has led to a number of health problems. Junior is a fourteen-year old boy living on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Washington.

The absolutely true diary of a part time indian by sherman alexie