Sherman Alexie

What I really liked about Sherman Alexie’s, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, was how un-censored it was. If he was thinking about it, it was written down. I think that this is most prevalent in his writing about what the other Native Americans thought about him and also what the white students thought about him. Specifically the part where he discusses the most racist comment he has ever heard. I will not repeat it because it was really horrible.

The pictures were also another part of the book that I enjoyed. It is easy to forget how important pictures are to a book after I haven’t read a picture book in who knows how long. Like Arnold/Junior said everyone can understand what he is trying to say with drawing a picture as opposed to writing and I think the illustrator, Ellen Forney, did an exceptional job at it.

It was also interesting to look at another side of life that I had heard about but never really understood all that well and it was the poverty of life on a reservation. I am in no ways naïve but I never realized it could be that bad. When Arnold/Junior discusses what it feels like to not eat for 48 hours it is something that is incomprehensible to me. I have not and I hope not will ever had to endure something like that but how it was written helped me to understand.

Lastly I liked the description that Arnold/Junior gave himself about having water on the brain and a large head and how people stare. I myself have had people staring at me for the past month after I got hit in the face; it was a pretty brutal sight to see a huge black/purple/blue/pink eye and bruises all over a swollen face so I understand the stares that he was getting. Needless to say I related with Arnold/Junior at that exact moment.

Overall a great book and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it!!!!