Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian

563 Words3 Pages
Subtle events and simple people can shape one’s life, and even lead them to success. In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Arnold breaks away from his hopeless reservation to pursue a better career. Junior transforms from a socially awkward and self-conscious boy to a confident and courageous young man when he realizes his potential for a promising future. He discovers his identity when dancing and going out with a popular girl, standing up for himself to a bully, and a courageous decision during a basketball match. Early in his high school career, Junior expresses his physical, mental, and social problems. He is constantly judgmental about himself: “First of all, I ended up having forty-two teeth. The typical human has thirty-two, right? But I had forty-two. Ten more than usual. Ten more than normal. Ten teeth past human.”(Alexie 2). Junior compares his traits to a human, and explains why he is abnormal. He lacks the power to ignore his imperfections and instead obsesses over them, which proves he is self- conscious about himself. Junior also gets beat up often, “so [he] mostly hang[s] out alone in [his] bedroom and read[s] books and draw[s] cartoons”(Alexie 4). Junior prefers to stay inside and alone rather than to socialize with others. His usual confinement is a result of being socially awkward. Also, by staying separated from the world, he doesn’t have many influences or motivations. When Rowdy asks if Junior wants to visit the powwow, he refuses because, “Those rhythmless, talentless, tuneless Indians are most likely to get drunk and beat the shit out of any available losers. And [he is] the most available loser.” Junior proceeds to criticize himself and refer to himself as a loser. His fear of getting beaten up by other Indians causes him to be socially inept. As the story progresses, Junior is influenced and motivated to make a change in his
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