Analysis of Identity in The Absolutely True Diary of Part-Time Indian Sherman Alexis first young adult novel, The

Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, is a semi-autobiographic tale of a young teenage boy, Arnold (also known as Junior), and his decision to attend school off of his tribes reservation. This decision begins an internal struggle for Arnold to find where he belongs and who he is in the seeming endless isolation he experiences from his tribe and his classmates. Arnold begins his life as different and ostracized from others. His is born with complications causing physical abnormalities and a stutter and lisp. This makes him a target for bullying at school, as he states he is often beaten up. But his best and only friend, Rowdy, becomes a shield from the taunts and beatings. Therefore, Rowdys disownment of his best friend when he chooses to leave the reservation school a painful blow to Junior. Though Arnold tries to preserve the relationship, Rowdy refuses his friends attempts to mend the friendship. This broken bond causes Junior a great deal of sadness, pain and loneliness. Despite this, he constantly claims that Rowdy will always be his best friend. No matter how badly Rowdy treated Junior how much he ignored him, how much loneliness he caused, Junior cannot abandon his best friend. Rowdys abandonment of Junior is followed by his fellow students on the reservation turning their backs on him. He is cast out from his group of peers, isolated from his Indian tribe. This abandonment from his tribal peers and his best friend may represent Junior feeling he must leave his Indian roots in order to find hope and leave his reservation; after all one must kill the Indian to save the child (35). But Arnold refuses to give up on his friendship with Rowdy. His complex relationship with his peers and friend, his sort of banishment from his tribe and his refusal to give up on Rowdy is parallel to his conflicting feelings about his Indian heritage. While he may feel rejected from his tribe and isolated, he doesnt turn bitter or give up on his relationships. His refusal to give up, to kill the indian and turn back on his Indian friend, causes him isolation, but also helps define Juniors complex heritage and social identity. Arnolds isolation continues at his new school, where he is the only Indian, except for the mascot (56). During his first few weeks at Reardan, he is largely ignored by his classmates, aside from the occasional bullying. However, this isolation begins to dissipate as he begins to make friends with Gordy and Penelope, whom begin to make up a new sort of tribe for Junior, and a new facet of his identity. However, while he joins this new tribe and develops this new part of himself, Arnold also feels like he is ignoring his Indian identity. He struggles to find his place between his Indian tribe, and the new relationships he forms outside of the reservations. He describes this frustration as being a part-time Indian (116)being considered an Indian off the reservation, and white while in it. Eventually, Arnold finds some solace from his isolationhe reconciles with Rowdy, and develops deeper friendships with the students at his new school. As he begins to develop his individual self, as a part-time Indian, its revealed to him that life is a constant struggle between being an individual and being a member of a community (132). Arnold found himself at odds with his own tribal community in

order to better his individual self, and in the process began to form a new community. At the end of the novel, he states that there are thousands of different tribes to be a part of: basketball tribes, Indian tribes, math tribes. And by combining all of those tribes, Arnold is able to form his individual self and find a place where he feels he belongs.

Works Cited Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. New York: Little, Brown and Co., 2007. Electronic.