The book review herein, and critical literary analysis seeks to present a cogent, well-thought out evaluation of the work written by Sherman Alexie entitled ‘The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.’ At the outset, it is important to note that the main literary device the writer uses is a personal, first-person perspective and narrative. The tone is frank, casual and simple-structured English. Also, as the author provides myriad vignettes and short anecdotal stories throughout the book, the reader has an opportunity to deeply feel empathy for Alexie’s protagonist – but, sometimes cannot decipher whether to laugh or cry.
When considering the entire scope of tribal heritage and the historical context, one realizes that the current status of financially prosperous Indian reservations in America, are only like a beautifully-jeweled bracelet on a broken-down pig. In other words, Alexie skillfully made it clear that life was not very easy, and was mostly quite miserable for the rank-and-file Indian living on a reservation. Also, from the historical context of the story’s text, the audience comes to realize that the hardships of living on a poorer Indian reservation was mostly unpleasant with few pretty moments. That history impacted the author, along with the different events in the text, by showing how the Indians were treated on the poorer reservations, like castaways, and in some cases ignored as worthy of living full-lives of human beings.
For example, the reader understood how smartly and deftly the author used the device of frank explicitness to get the point across. This especially occurred in the text, and is reflected, when Mr. P tells the protagonist that he must leave the reservation because it was not really going to do him any good, not really teaching him anything in school. In the text of the story’s portion herein, Alexie wrote of Mr. P’s breath as smelling like “Onions and garlic and hamburger and shame and pain” (36). The ‘shame’ and ‘pain’ part indicated that as a white teacher, or reservation worker, Mr. P recognized the pitiful conditions of poverty, and for this reason urged the young man to leave. He himself felt helpless to improve conditions, thus himself felt shame.
One of the distinctive cultural elements of the tribe that was highlighted in the story, always referred to an awareness that white people were different. Different culturally, and different in that the Indian reservations were indeed completely separate – and mostly unequal – nations altogether. Alexie framed the young male protagonist to answer the question put to them: “Who has the most hope?” On the same page of the text, they responded, “White people” (38). This use of dialogue meant that a real cultural bifurcation in modern society, deeply impacted by history, existed. But, one really strong way the author showed the impact of federal Indian policies, besides the medical events, was by depicting that there were designated schools especially for those children living on Indian reservations. This factor, coupled with inferior (separate) medical policies greatly impacted the author’s voice and point of view.
The primary themes of the text constantly demonstrated the separateness of Indian reservation life, particularly on a poor one. Although in the minds of many, Indian culture has been romanticized, and seen as highly dignified as one that gives much honor to nature and spiritual wisdom, the author used his story-telling to raise other less-attractive issues. The author, Alexie, repeatedly makes distinctions about the lives of white people in contrast to the poor-ass conditions of the Indians. In one part of the text, Alexie makes this contrast very clear when the boy makes a transition to attend the white school, Reardon, and his best friend Rowdy turned on him when hearing of the news, “You always thought you were better than me,” he had yelled (44). Once again, the idea of white ‘life’ having better opportunities entered the situation. The primary theme continued to play on this context, while the author used the character to try and negotiate the character’s Indian identity with a balance of what life was life for white people, in contrast.
Works Cited
Alexie, Sherman. The absolutely true diary of a Part-Time Indian. New York: Little, Brown, and Company, 2007. Print.
