Annie (2)

The story is written in letter form. When reading it this way it only allows you to get one perspective of what is going on. You only see and feel Liza'x side of everything. It is harder to 'get the facts'. The way we see other characters in the story are conformed to her interaction with characters? Her response? She is in a kind of blur, it is hard for even her to see things clearly, so even harder for us sometimes. The only person we really get a real feel of is Annie, and that is because Liza is smitten my by Annie so she pays more attention to detail with her, and tells us more about her. I think it was really hard to relate to Liza. I think even more for everyone who isn't me in the class. I think because I am a lesbian too, and I am also a bit detached with my own emotions. This made it easier to relate to only being able to want to talk about the woman you want and never thinking of describing myself. I don't see the point of telling about myself because I am not what s interesting, she is. You know, but I fully understand the inability to relate.

Initial Annie on my Mind

When I first started reading this novel, I felt like it just wasn't written in a way that would draw people in. I think that the raw material, and base storyline of the book is good, I think that Nancy Garden chose to write it in the form of Liza writing a letter to Annie. I like her initial idea of this, the only downfall for me, and possibly others is that Liza is not exactly the most relatable or likable character. She did a good job of telling what had happened, how they met, everything. What she was missing was the emotional side of it all, Liza does not seem very emotional, so that makes it hard to connect with her. One of the theories I didn't see, until class discussion, was the relation with Liza's mannerisms and emotions are closer to that of a man. I didn't put this relation together, which could possibly be because myself personally, can be identified with a man. This Could effect my ability to see it in her.

Priviliged Childhood

I can't identify to Junior's child hood in comparison to my own childhood.  My sisters and I were privileged children just like Roger at the white school outside the reservation.  But what I can relate the book to is to teaching students who may have not had breakfast before school, have a parent in jail or family members who drink excessively and become violent.  We have schools in Sioux City with 90% of the students on free or reduced meals and they bring home a backpack of food to eat over the weekend.
I felt the violence in Juniors life was the most shocking to me.  I have never heard of a list of rules that have fighting listed as a solution to every altercation imaginable.  It helped me to understand why many elementary students (girls and boys) break out into fistfights on the playground at recess.  Fighting is the only way they know how to settle differences because it is all they see at home.  Character building has become more important to me because of Junior's rules to fight by.  Most any topic can be used for an emergent reader, so why not use lessons and stories about being a good person of strong character?

Finding Joy in the Midst of Sorrow

“I can’t even tell you how I found the strength to get up every morning. And yet, every morning, I did get up and go to school (173).”

 The character of Junior in Sherman Alexie’s Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian shows so much strength. His strength makes him resilient and determined. He is able to face numerous hardships and keep living on. His strength is fascinating and inspiring but what is truly amazing is his ability to find the good still left in his life after the grief ravaged it. Junior has the incredible ability to release the negative and cling to the joy in his life. Without joy he would be a sturdy but empty shell, strong but lifeless.

Junior’s strength is tested many times throughout the book. He lost his best friend Rowdy, the respect and acceptance of his community, his grandmother, his uncle, and his sister. His dad was an alcoholic, he had to hitch hike to school, and his family had no money but still he was able to find joy. Rowdy was awful to Junior after he switched schools. He hit him and called him nasty things, he even knocked him out but Junior did not remember those things when he looked at Rowdy. He remembered eating pie with him on Thanksgiving and swimming in Turtle Lake. When his community turned their backs on him he didn’t hold it against them. When his grandmother died he marveled at the Indians’ capacity for laughter even in the face of grief. When his father took off with his family’s money before Christmas and then showed up after New Year’s with only a five dollar bill as a gift, Junior was not angry. He was touched by his dad’s small gift. The ability to find joy in such awful situations shows so much strength and character for such a young boy.

 Junior’s outlook on life is an inspiration to adolescents and adults everywhere. People everywhere go through horrible situations that knock them off their feet and they can decide to lie down and let it destroy them or they can jump back up and keep going. Sometimes it is hard to believe that there is joy underneath the heavy pile of sorrow but Junior lets readers know that there is and that sometimes finding it is the only way to carry on. Junior says it best at the end of “Valentine Hear,”“I kept trying to find the little pieces of joy in my life. That’s the only way I managed to make it through all of that death and change (176).”

Junior the Fighter

Junior in The Absolutely True Story of the Part-Time Indian is faced with many challenges throughout the novel. He is a very awkward young man who has fought and fought his whole life on the "rez" just to survive. That is my initial response to Junior, he is a fighter. Since the day he was born he has fought medical problems including: "water on the brain" (1). Junior must contend with many bullies all over the "rez" trying to beat him up, but still he has such a positive outlook on life. I feel the way he copes with these issues is through his humor, and determination to be better than all those people who had wronged him.

No battle Junior faces is easy, whether it is life on the "rez," attending school in Reardan, or the losses he encounters in his family. No matter how bad things seem to go for Junior, he always finds a way to fight through them. He fights life on the "rez" by leaving, he knows that he is never going to do anything more than "learning how to give up" (42). At Reardan he is the only Indian in a school full of white students. He fights his way to happiness at the school by knocking Roger (the biggest person in the school) "on his ass" (65). To cope with the loss of his grandma and sister, he makes a list of his joys in life to help himself get over these losses. This is an extremely difficult time for Junior, but he fights through it and is a success at his first year at Rearden. These examples shown in the novel prove that the theme of "fighting" can be used in many different ways (not just physically) as an inspiration to strive through the difficult things that happen in life.

Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, creates a charater that is non traditional from a hero a reader would incounter. Junior, a 14 year old Spokane indian, that has come to a critical moment in his life; he makes the discision to go to a different school outside of his tribe. The trials and tribulations that he encounters is what really develops Junior to become more relatable and accepting.

What I like about Junior is that he over comes so much in dealing with life, such as: his families alchololism, being constantly bullied, and of course living in a stereotyped world. The theme that I am getting from this book is that eventhough the odds are against you, you still have the means to achieve your goals. This is very relatable to my someday students that would be in high school because I think that alot of them believe that because they fall into a stereotype or live a certain way that that means they can not follow their own dreams or life. Reading this book radiates a sort of encouragement that most students need to realize that anything is possible only if you want it to be. How easy would it have been for Junior just to stay in school at the reservation, but he pushed through it all to become something he wanted to be. I think readers get a clear picture that Junior is a young boy trying to make a big decision is when Mr. P says, " 'All these kids have given up,' he said. 'All your friends. All the bullies. And their mothers and fathers have given up, too. and their grandparents gave up and their grandparents before them. And me and every other teacher here. We're all defeated'" (pg 42). Over coming odds it the big reaccuring theme here and breaking past what is expected of you. This is the kind of book I would want my students to read if they ever needed some encouragement.

I believe that this book is somewhat a relatable life experience because I am very different from my own family. That I wanted to break the mold of what my family did or became, therefore I had to do it all on my own. Not that I ever got beat up from my family or friends by doing things outside of the norm, but it was a struggle for my family to realize that I am very different from them. What I also like/relate to about this book is that it shows that not everyone's story is the same, that everyone gets to where they are by different routes. Although you might not encounter them directly it is very interesting to view someone else's point of view to see how they "beat their odds".

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie is a book that will have a place on my book shelf because the idea that you can be different and achieve your dreams is something that every student should be able to read. Maybe everyone around you is holding you back and you need some more guidance in your life, this is why this book is important and relatable to students.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time COURAGEOUS Indian

Junior is a high school freshman with a large head, thick glasses, a lisp, and a nervous stomach.  But what is most important is the courage he possesses.   The novel starts out with Junior describing himself and giving background of his life.  The reader is left feeling a bit depressed and disheartened by Junior’s situation, but by the middle of the book the reader is cheering Junior on and is left in awe by the bravery this young man has while facing down a life that seems to be against him

Throughout the entire novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Junior is constantly put in situations where the fight or flight scenario is placed in front of him.  After courageously deciding to go to Reardon for high school he is finds himself the butt of a bully’s joke.  Honoring the Spokane Indian Rule of Fisticuffs, Junior punches the very large and much older bully, Roger, in the face (65).  Within a few days of being at Reardon he is able to approach his crush Penelope (78).  Junior was the smartest student at his old school, but is questioned at his new one.  When correcting a teacher as to what the proper definition of petrified wood truly is, the teacher questions his intelligence.  In a situation that would leave most new students petrified (pun intended), Junior stands his ground, essentially laying the groundwork of gaining respect from a fellow class genius (85-87). 

Junior is a young man who has been through so much in life and even after losing countless friends and family members and reaching almost running out of hope he still finds joy.  After his grandmother and sister die and he is at his lowest and lows, he writes a list of things that give him joy.  On his lists he writes things from food to music to people, anything that makes him happy.  In his darkest time he is still trying to find hope a something to keep him moving forward (176-77). 

While I cannot relate to Junior’s life experience, I can admire his courage and respect his tactics.  Junior could follow in his parent’s footsteps in life, down a road to alcoholism and taking little responsibility for their actions.  But Junior wants a better life, and not just one for himself.  Throughout his journey he still thinks of his friends and family.  When he finally succeeds in beating his old high school basketball team, he can’t even bask in the glory but instead reflects on the dreary life and future his former teammates have (195).  He wants the best for his sister and wants his best friend to join him at Reardon.  Junior is a courageous young man who treks forward in the face of diversity and fear, while also not forgetting his family and friends along the way.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

The main character in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is 14-year-old Junior. He wants a life different than the one he has on the reservation and he is determined and driven to get what he wants. Junior said something early in the novel that I found important:

"But 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" (13).
 Junior is not your stereotypical Indian, though. He went to show that you don't have to be one of those people who don't get to realize their dreams. It definitely takes a took of courage to be a "Junior." I mean, he said it himself when he left his school to attend Reardan, he said there's no turning back once you do that. He referred to it as being on a "one-way bridge." He knew he couldn't leave the tribe and then turn around and come back right away.

It's hard not to root for Junior- he's funny, brave, and extremely hard-working- you naturally want him to succeed. He stops at nothing to get what he wants and he just deserves success.

I grew up in Homer, NE and this is six miles away from Winnebago, NE, which has the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. For that matter, I'm familiar with the Indian reservation just because we lived so close and in junior high and high school we always played athletics against Winnebago Public School. There are many stereotypes about Indians and most of them are that they are drunk and lazy. Yes, that can be true- as can any stereotype about any race of culture. Although, like Junior, there are many Indians who are nothing like this stereotype. Some who completely defy all odds. There are many who are very dedicated to their heritage and want to make a difference in the lives of others. The St. Augustine Indian Mission and school is in Winnebago, NE and and I've been to their church quite a few times. It's very interesting to experience their heritage and the traditions they live by. There are so many ornate items and bold and bright colors present. It's interesting and important to learn about different cultures, such as theirs. This just goes to show that people can break away from the mold- Junior proved this too.

Overall, Junior made a very big decision at a fairly young age. He knew he wanted a different life and had to risk the backlash of this in order to get what he wanted. He's very admirable and a chracter I definitely respect.

The Life of Junior

You have to give Junior lots of credit for being who he is. The main character in Sherman Alexie's novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a American Indian, Junior is learning to stepp out of his boundaries and form his own identity as a high student no a typical Indian drunk. My response to him was a lot stronger then to Annie, I didn't care for Annie. Junior or Arnold is not someone I can say that I can confine in because I've never been put through anything like he has. Junior is one brave kid. I feel that if I had to ever go through anything like he has I would hope I had enough courage to be the same and stick through. If someone had came up to me like Roger did on the first day of school I would freak out and cry like a little girl (I'm just being honest) but in the Indian culture, I feel, that it's not socially acceptable. I've never felt like I've been in the odd one out or the minority. Junior also made a commitment to not become like the typical drunk Indian. He wants to become someone who can go to college, even though at some points during the book he seems to doubt his abilities to success. I think he sees success as not becoming like his fellow Indian, not that he just needs to go to college.

The theme of identity is extreme present in the novel. What could be more of am example of finding yourself besides growing up? I think it's true for everyone; when you grow up you are trying to figure out who you are and what you want to become. In the novel by Sherman Alexie we see Junior grow up big time during his freshman year of high school. He developed as a person who embrasses where he comes for. Often times in the book we read about how it is apparent that he is not from the same area of the county as the other students but that doesn't stop him from attending school either does other twenty some miles.

Determination

Junior is very determined to make his story different than all the other Indians on the reservation.  I was very unsure of him at first and thought he was just putting on an act.  I thought the only reason Junior decided to move schools was because his teacher, Mr. P, very seriously told him to leave the reservation and keep his hope. After reading the entire book, I truly believe Junior is determined to make his life different.  He has made it through tough life experiences and knows he can make it though anything else life throws at him. 

I feel like I am also a very determined person who has already made my story different than my family.  I will be the first person in my immediate family to graduate from college.  I have two older brothers who both tried to attend college, but quit or failed out.  I continue to play college athletics into my senior year; my brothers both quit after one year of pursuing athletics after college.  I am the only person in my family who has not struggled with credit issues.  Both my parents’ plans were changed because of having children at young ages (19 and 20), which derailed their dreams at the time.  They struggled greatly at my age and were going through struggles.  Although I go through struggles too, my path has been much different from my parents and my brothers’.    

         I have struggled with many seasons of shin splints and stress fractures, but just like Junior, I have had moments of athletic greatness. Junior’s success came in the second Wellpinit game of his freshman season.  In the first play, he went up and blocked Rowdy’s shot, then took the ball to the hoop to make the first shot of the game making the score 3 to 0.  My moment of greatness came during my junior year at the state track meet 2-mile race.  I was leading the race for 6 of the 8 laps, going through the first half of the race in a personal best. Previous to the race I was 10 seconds off the school record and beat the Crete High School 2 mile record by 16 seconds. 

         Unlike Junior I do not have serious medical problems. Having seizures twice a week would be very scary.  I also think it would interfere with his social life, considering he was having so many seizures.  He would not be able to go out and do as much as other kids his age.  Junior has more struggles than I ever have and through it all he is determined to be better than anyone expects.  When he went through his first surgey, when he was 6 months old, he had little chance to survive.  Though he did survive, doctors said he would have serious physical disabilities.  Throughout the book Junior tells us no, never happened.  I think some people are just born with determination.  Junior is a great example to all of us of not giving up and fighting with determination.  

Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian.

            The character of Junior is interesting and complex, but at the same time, he is a “normal” 14 year old boy. He is worried about popularity and girls, he’s not overly concerned about his grades, he is worried about what his future holds, and he is struggling with his identity. What is the most interesting aspect of Junior’s character to me is that he is able to critically evaluate both his own culture and the white culture that he becomes a part of at Reardan.

            Much of my life is very different from Junior’s, however there are some aspects that are similar. I live a block away from my high school and less than two miles from every school I’ve attended. I have a very supportive family, neither of my parents drink, and I have never experienced the financial strains that accompany Junior’s life. I have experience nowhere near the same amount of death in my life as Junior has and I have never had to change schools and leave friends behind. Most of the experiences that Junior shares, I was able to sympathize for him, but I was unable to put myself in his shoes beyond, “that would be awful.”

            The one area that he and I have in common is being a minority in the classroom. I went to a high school that was heavily Latino. I can empathize with Junior being the only one of his race in the classroom as I have been the only white person in a few classes. I had to deal with the stereotype that if I’m white, of course I think I’m better than they are, just as Junior had to deal with the stereotypes of his own race.

            The theme that Junior’s character helps me to identify is one of a social identity. Junior abandons his tribe to go to school in Reardan and when his sister runs off to get married, he feels as though it is his fault (90). Junior is more accepted back in his home after the death of his grandmother (160). All of the people on his reservation know what it is like to lose someone close to you and they feel the pain of losing Grandmother Spirit as well. This shows how the entire tribe seems to have a singular identity. The most obvious point that illustrates Junior’s identity within his tribe is at the final basketball game between Wellpinit and Reardan. Junior’s team wins, but he still cannot be happy because he can see his own people in pain from the loss. He knows that some of them hadn’t eaten, most of them don’t have supportive parents, and Rowdy may even be beaten by his dad for losing (195). At this point, Junior is unable to celebrate and even ends up throwing up and crying over the win (196), because of his connection to the Wellpinit team that lost.

Junior's Journey

                The main character in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a freshman boy named, Junior. Throughout the book, I feel as if I am part of the character because I got to know him from all the situations he went through. We got to know him on a personal level. Junior loves to draw. He even stated, “I feel important with a pen in my hand. I feel like I might grow up to be somebody important” (7). We learn he draws to try to escape from the reservation. The drawings throughout the book help us get inside of Junior’s brain and understand what he is thinking. It gives us a deeper understanding of what he feels. I enjoy reading the drawings; I feel connected to him. Junior is from a poverty family which lives in a poor Spokane Indian Reservation; he sometimes does not get meals which mean sleeping is a meal.

                Junior’s life compared to my life growing up is completely different. Compared to him, I am truly blessed and take for granted the things I am given. In my family, putting food on the table is not a problem. I could not imagine not having food to eat for eighteen and a half hours. Also, it didn’t truly hit me until I was trying to think of differences in our lives. When he has to walk 22 miles to get to school, I drive and my house is not even a mile away from our high school. I also had a car since my freshman year to drive to school. I feel selfish for driving a mile to school when he has to walk that or hitchhike to school.

                A theme I seem to see throughout the story which Junior helps form is the point of trying to find yourself. Junior is trying to find his true identity. He leaves the Rez to help better his future; he knows he cannot succeed if he stays at the rez. Junior asked his parents, “Who has the most hope?” Junior and his parents answered with “white people” at the same time (45). He wanted to transfer schools because they had a better education program and athletic teams. They were the best; therefore, they would allow him to achieve the most. Mr. P gives Junior the realization that all his friends and families have given up. Junior knows he cannot give up and end up like the rest of the Rez because he has fight in him since he was born and wants to achieve in life. Junior also joined the basketball team; however, only a certain amount of kids made the varsity. We saw Junior give it his all and fight to not give up when going against Roger. On page 140 Junior stated “I knew if I took that break I would never make the team” showed us he find the fight in him to prove to everyone that he was good enough for the varsity.  He was a warrior. Junior realized he left in search for a dream of a better life. On page 217, Junior states all the tribes he belongs to such as the: Spokane Indian tribe, basketball players, bookworms, American immigrants, and the list goes on. He realized he was going to be okay. He found himself in the journey he took for a better life.