Part Time Indian B Block Blog 2017

  When Rowdy says that Arnold killed his sister, Rowdy didn't mean that Arnold physically killed her. Rowdy implies that the actions that Arnold has made, had a strong impact on the choices that his sister made which ended up with her death. For example, when Arnold made the decision to leave the reservation and go to Reardan. Arnold made this bold decision to get a better life/future. Mary thought that she should leave the reservation as well because she too, wants a better life/future. Arnold explains: "But she only got married so quickly and left the rez because I had left the rez first. She was only living in Montana in a cheap trailer house because I had gone to school in Reardan. She had burned to death because I had decided that I wanted to spend my life with white people" (Alexie, 211). Rowdy thinks that these actions were the cause of Mary's death however, Arnold wasn't the one that actually killed Mary. She died because of a fire in her trailer  and coul...

At the end of the novel, Junior realizes a lot about himself and his life.  He realizes that he has so many happy memories with Rowdy and the rest of his friends. Junior says "When we were little, like ten years old, Rowdy and I climbed that sucker." In this quote he starts to remember the good times with Rowdy and how much fun they had together. He also figures out that he finds joy in lots of things, and isn't always depressed. And even though his family is broke and Indians are almost always drunk, when they aren't, they are the best people to be with in the world. Junior learns that Rowdy still cares for him, and even though they got in a fight, they will forever be friends. He still has things he look forward to in life.

On Pages 216 and 217 Junior is crying because he is upset that Mary made tried to leave and search for her dreams. He then realized that he had made that attempt too. Mary left and Junior was upset but throughout the book he later realized he did the exact same thing as her. He explains “She went searching for her dreams, and she didn’t find them, but she made the attempt. And I was making the attempt, too. (Alexie 216). After he realized all this he started to cry, but the weeping was not only for himself and his sister, but he cried because in the next year more Spokane's would die as well, and from drinking, just like Mary. Junior explains “It all made me cry for my sister. It made me cry for myself. But I was crying because I knew five or ten or fifteen more Spokane’s would die during the next year, and that most of them would die because of booze. Junior cries because he realized he and his sister made the same attenpt of leaving the Rez and trying to find their dreams.

Using the chapter title, “Rowdy and I Have a Long and Serious Discussion About Basketball” (Alexie 197), is ironic because, first of all, it was 4 sentences, and second, it wasn’t a conversation! Rowdy’s emails were insults to Junior that were saying that, I am better than you and I always will be. In Juniors emails he goes from feeling sorry for Rowdy, to getting sassy with him. For example, Juniors last words were, “I’m the faggot who beat you.” (Alexie 197). Calling this discussion serious is ironic because, well, the “conversation”  used language like f***t and a**. Junior wanted to make up with Rowdy, but Rowdy was too embarassed that he lost the game,  and was still mad at Junior for abandoning him. Calling this conversation long is also ironic because Rowdy only said one complete sentence! Junior ended the chapter with saying ”I think it was also a bit friendly, and it was the first time that Rowdy had talked to me since I left the Rez”. (Alexie 198). Based on this quot...

The cartoon on page 182 shows Arnold's ongoing struggle with identity. He is shown playing basketball in two different gyms. In the Wellpinit gym he is portrayed as a devil and a 'white lover' (182) meanwhile in the Rearden gym he is shown as a saint and is being cheered on. In both images he is thinking 'Who am I?' (182). Back on the reservation many people have turned their backs on him. At the first game they played the fans chanting 'Ar-nold sucks!' while at Rearden, as much as he was praised and cheered on he 'would always be an outsider'. Junior isn't sure where he belongs. Furthermore, what separates him from his peers at Rearden is him being Indian and back at the reservation he was no longer accepted because of the move he made to Rearden. Junior doesn't know where he belongs or who he is and in Wellpinit nobody accepts him while in Rearden he feels like an outsider.

Junior’s varsity squad ends up winning the rematch against Wellpinit High, but Junior soon realizes that his team may have just deprived those Indians of what little opportunity they had. After celebrating his 40 point win against the Wellpinit Redskins, the protagonist recognizes that “[He] knew that two or three of those Indians might not have eaten breakfast that morning...seven or eight of those Indians lived with drunken mothers and fathers…[he] knew that none of them was going to college. Not one of them” (Alexie 195). Junior also knows that “Rowdy’s father was probably going to beat the crap out of him for losing this game” (Alexie 196). Junior realizes that for some of these Indians basketball wasn’t only a sport, but perhaps their ticket to success in life. Or for Rowdy, a way to stay out of trouble. When Reardan beat Wellpinit High, those Indians lost whatever hope they had for a future and what was probably their only chance to be recognized. Junior cries, ashamed of him...

     The first game is against Wellpinit, his old school, now his rival. Consequently, the crowd treats him poorly, intimidating him by chanting, "Arnold Sucks!" (Alexie 143) and throwing things at him. Seeing the look on Arnold's face, Coach tells him he doesn't have to play this game. But, Arnold knew he had to play. He needed to prove something to his fellow tribal members, especially Rowdy. When he looked at Rowdy, it looked like he was just about to kill Junior. "He didn't want to turn his back on me. He wanted to kill me, face-to face." (Alexie 144) Thinking and looking at Rowdy, he starts to laugh, the only sound in the entire gym. But then coach joins him, as well as his teammates. They laugh all the way to the locker room, which makes him feel better. But then he starts to cry, overwhelmed with what just happened. But coach tries to support him. "If you care about something enough, its going to make you cry. But you have to get used to it. ...

Junior’s grandmother’s greatest gift was tolerance, a quality that is disappearing among Indians. Junior’s grandmother was always kind and accepted people for who they are. Sherman Alexie explains, “[Junior’s] grandmother had no use for all the gay bashing and homophobia in the world, especially among other Indians”(Alexie 155). Indians were always accepting and tolerant until white people started to lessen their tolerance. When Junior was reflecting on his grandmother he thinks, “...in the old days, Indians used to be forgiving of any kind of eccentricity. In fact, weird people were often celebrated”(Alexie 155). The diminishing tolerance started happening because of Indians being influenced by Christianity brought by the white people. Junior's grandmother was different from most of the other people on the reservation because of her “...old time Indian spirit…(Alexie 155). Junior’s grandmother was respected throughout the Spokane Reservation, as well as many other reservations, be...

Before Junior tries out for the basketball team, his father gives him an encouraging talk that helps Junior step on the court with confidence. ]unior was a great basketball player on the Rez, but now that he is at Rearden, he is starting to doubt himself. Because of Junior's preconceived thoughts, he automatically thinks, "[he] wasn't going to be good enough to make even the C squad... [He] didn't think [he] could live through that humiliation" (Alexie 135). However, when he talks to his father, they share some experiences. Junior's dad explains that he is eight years younger than his wife and that she "boosted [him] up so [he] could get a drink. And imagine, all these years later [they're] married and have two kids" (Alexie 136). At first, Junior doesn't have a clue how this relates to him trying out for the basketball team, but then his father explains that "you have to dream big" (Alexie 136). Although Junior has multiple doubts...

The irony of the discussion after Thanksgiving is that Junior’s family is celebrating Thanksgiving which celebrates the pilgrims who go on to kill the Native Americans, and Junior’s family are Native Americans. Junior’s family struggles to get by in life due to their poverty, and if you think about it they’re actually spending more money than normal for the Thanksgiving dinner. Irony is when something that happens that is the opposite of what you think is going to happen and ends up being amusing because of it. Junior’s family are Native American, and in so probably are descendants of someone who was alive at the the original Thanksgiving dinner. They also probably have ancestors who were around when the pilgrims decided to turn on the Native Americans and kill almost all of them. Then now here they are years later celebrating the very people who almost wiped out their race, and possibly their ancestors. On page 101 Junior is thinking to himself, “I always think it’s funny when Ind...

In “Dance Dance Dance”, Junior hides his poverty from Penelope and the rest of his classmates, but he reveals this to Penelope and Roger and learns that it's okay to open yourself up to your friends. After the Winter Formal, Junior, Penelope, and Roger and his friends decide to drive to a diner and eat pancakes. Junior hopes that Penelope's dad, Earl, doesn’t let her go because Junior knows that he will not be able to pay for it. While the group is eating pancakes, Junior goes to the bathroom where Roger eventually enters. Junior tells Roger that he forgot his wallet, while Roger thinks that Junior is poor. When Penelope confronts him about this, he admits to her that he is poor, but he is surprised when Penelope doesn’t care about his money, and Roger drives him home. When Junior realizes it, he says, “If you let people into your life, a little bit, they can be pretty damn amazing” (Alexie 129). When Junior sees his friends’ reaction to his confession, he sees that he can open...

Junior finds himself comforting Penelope when he finds out her secret, the fact that she makes herself throw up to avoid weight gain. Junior notices similarities between his father and Penelope. They both use unconventional means of getting rid of their pain. Arnold’s dad drinks his pain away, and Penelope forcefully throws-up to make sure she doesn’t become fat. Junior says “She’s scared all the time, but nobody will let he be scared …”(Alexie 108) because “everybody thinks her life is perfect because she’s pretty and smart and popular…”(Alexie 108). In other words, Penelope can’t let anybody know she’s scared because everyone idolizes her and if she were to be seen scared or weak, she would lose her popularity. We see this idolization later when others copy her behavior at the Winter Formal, “And every dude in the joint immediately wished he’d worn his[Junior] father’s lame polyester suit[Because Penelope complimented it]”(Alexie 122). In this moment, we the reader, learn th...

Arnold loves his grandmother and thinks that she gives great advice. After he punches Roger he wants to talk to his parents about what he did, but his parents aren’t home so he decides “I turned to my grandmother for advice”(Alexie 68). She explains to him how now Roger would respect him, she says “You see, you men and boys are like packs of wild dogs. This giant boy is the alpha male of the school, and you’re the new dog, so he pushed you around a little bit to see how tough you are”(Alexie 68). She thinks that he finally being accepted at his new school. He then explains that he loves her and the advice she gave but her idea might be crazy. He says “I love you, Grandma, I said. But you’re crazy”(Alexie 70). After he takes his Grandma’s advice, it actually worked at school the next day, he says “Maybe Grandma was right. Maybe I had challenged the alpha dog and was now being rewarded for it. I love my Grandmother. She’s the smartest person on the planet.”(Alexie 72). Arnold ...

Penelope treats Junior as a nice kid who means well, but not a close friend or an enemy. Penelope doesn't ignore Junior but she cant not wait to talk to Junior. Penelope feels as if Junior is a nice kid but not a close friend. She doesn't hate or love him she just thinks of him as a nice kid. She says how,"'I'm sorry they did that to you. I'll still put your name on the money when I send it"(Alexie 80). Penelope knows that Junior worked hard for those ten bucks and still wants to give him credit for his hard work. She recognizes that he tried and that writing his name on the letter was the right thing to do for him. "I lifted up my shirt and showed her the bruises on my belly and ribs and back. Thats terrible. Did you see a doctor?" (Alexie 80). This quote shows how Penelope is worried for Junior and empathizes with him. Penelope wants to help Junior and is concerned for his well being. Penelope does not hate or love Junior, she just thinks of hi...

Junior is alone for many reasons, like how he is an Indian going to a white kid school, but there is one specific reason. This is how he never socializes with the other kids. He sits alone at lunch, and stands in the corner during PE playing with himself. He also gets huge zits when he is alone. Junior says, "And whenever I get lonely, I grow a big zit on the end of my nose."  (Alexis 83) To make matters even worse, in science class, he raises his hand to answer a question. He stutters at first then says "petrified wood is not wood" (Alexis 84) A kid in his class starts to question his answer and interrogates him. Dodge, the kid, says "Yes we all know there is so much science on the reservation." Arnold gets put in this terrible situation and gets humiliated in front of his whole class. 

When Arnold is Telling Rowdy that he is going to Rearden he thinks about how special and how full of hope the Rearden students are and he thinks, “I don’t know if hope is white. But I do know that hope for me is like some mythical creature” (51) showing how hard chances and opportunities are to come by in the ‘rez’.  He uses a simile to explain how rare it is for him or for Indians to be hopeful. He also talks about how sometimes white people can have more hope than others. They are given more opportunities, they were ‘magnificent’ and ‘knew everything’ (50). Hope is hard to come across for Junior yet it is almost a given for his white classmates.

 Why is Junior hesitant to tell Rowdy? Why does he tell him? How does Rowdy react? Why does he react this way? (Caroline Roche) 3#3 In chapter 6 we learned that Junior made a decision to transfer from the Rez’s school to Reardon. One of the things that was pulling him back and making the decision even harder was Rowdy. Junior is hesitant to break the news to Rowdy because they have been best friends since they were babies. Rowdy doesn’t have a family that he can fall back on, so it’s always been Junior. Junior thinks to himself, “he only talks about his dreams with me.” (Alexie 23). Junior tells Rowdy the next morning that he is transferring because, first, Rowdy is his best friend and he needs to tell the truth, and second, he wants Rowdy to transfer with him. While telling Rowdy the upsetting news, Junior says “I’m telling the truth. I’m leaving the rez, man, and I want you to come with me. Come on. It will be an adventure.” (Alexie 49). Rowdy doesn’t take the news very wel...

During Arnold’s transitions to Reardan, he has to learn to adjust to the new culture. When Arnold first arrives at Reardan he encounters many hurdles such as fear, racism and the feeling of being an outsider. After describing how lately he has been called multiple names like Chief and Sitting Bull, the protagonist explains, “[He] wasn’t scared of fistfighting with those boys…[he] was afraid those monsters were going to kill [him]” (Alexie 64). Arnold is also faced with extreme racism. He describes how Roger walks up to him and jokes, “Did you know that Indians are living proof that niggers fuck buffalo?” (Alexie 64). This comment angers Arnold who punches Roger in the face. However when Roger doesn’t fight back, unlike what would’ve happened on the rez, the protagonist realizes how much of an outsider he is. Arnold explains, “[He] felt like somebody had shoved [him] into a rocket ship and blasted [him] to a new planet” (Alexie 66). Reardan is the opposite of the rez which makes it ...

        “My sister is running away to get lost, but I am running away because I want to find  something ” (46).         In this quote, the speaker is Junior, the main character in the book. He is talking to himself. The day after Junior is suspended, Mr. P comes up his driveway to chat with him. After asking Junior many questions, he says that Junior has to leave the reservation. He says, "The only thing you kids are being taught is how to give up" (Alexie 42) The Indians have given up hope. He says, "You threw that book in my face because somewhere inside you refused to give up" (Alexie 43) He still believes in Junior, and he thinks he can persevere and find hope. In this quote, the difference between Junior and his sister is that Junior is looking for hope, and his sister has given up, just like the other Indians. Mr. P said that she liked to write romance novels, but then, as time passed, and she just stopped writing. She gave up. L...

In the book, “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie, Mr. P gives the protagonist, Junior, some strong but risky advice. After finding out that Junior’s textbook was the same that his mom used thirty years ago, he threw the textbook resulting in a suspension and Mr. P having a broken nose. A few days later, Mr. P and Junior have a deep discussion where Mr. P shares the advice, “You have to leave this reservation”(Alexie 42). Junior is confused at first, but then starts to realize that if he wants to do well in the future and break the cycle of lost hope, he has to separate himself from all the people that have chosen to give up. On Junior's reservation, most of the people are alcoholics and haven’t done anything with their lives. Junior has always been an outsider on the reservation because of his looks, but it’s also because he has a lot of hope and determination that others don’t. Before their conversation ends, Mr. P states, “you have to take your h...

              Arnold is used to the fact that the Indians on the rez don't get to pursue their dreams or do what they love, but when it becomes something he can see, he gets disappointed. One day at school, Arnold realizes that he is using the same textbook as his mother did thirty years ago. He gets upset and throws the book, smashing Mr. P, his teacher in the face. After Arnold is suspended for this, Mr. P decides to visit him, forgiving Arnold and giving him advice. Mr. P talks about how life on the rez is hard and that Arnold deserves more than the limited opportunities he has been given so far. While Mr. P is confronting Arnold, he says, "Every white person on this rez should get smashed in the face. But, let me tell you this. All Indians should get smashed in the face, too" (Alexie 42). Mr. P knows that many white people have acted violently towards Indians and should be punished, but what he is really emphasi...

When Junior opens his geometry book, he sees his mom’s name on the front and realizes it is the same book his mother studied from. When he realizes this, he says, “My school and my tribe are so poor and so sad that we have to study from the same dang books our parents studied from. That is absolutely the saddest thing in the world” (Alexie 31). In this quote, Junior is talking to himself and the reader. Junior is mad at the poverty of the reservation and school and thinks it is very sad. This hits junior hard, as he reacts violently, throwing the geometry book at Mr. P. Junior has always known that his family and his reservation were poor; “I am really just a poor-ass reservation kid living with his poor-ass family on the poor-ass Spokane Indian Reservation” (Alexie 7), but when Junior sees his mom’s name on the front cover of the book, he has an epiphany, truly seeing the sheer amount of his family's and reservation’s poverty.

#1 . Examine the cartoon on page 12. What is the relationship between poverty and dreams? (Tim G.) The relationship between poverty and dreams is that the less fortunate you are, the less chance you have of living your dream. We see that money has a direct affect on one’s chances to live their dreams when Arnold says, “Given the chance, my mother would have gone to college”(Alexie 11). The ‘chance’ in this quote refers to money. Her lack of money held her back from college, and her lack of education held her back from her dream of being a teacher. Another example of how poverty affects the dreams of people is seen when Arnold says, “They[His parents] never got the chance to be anything because nobody paid attention to their dreams”(Alexie 11). Here, chance refers to his parent’s ability to stand out from the crowd. Arnold’s parents were too poor to get a platform to advertise themselves and therefore never got seen as having potential by others. Overall, poverty affects the dr...