The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian By Sherman Alexie Cathie Roddel

Hope ??? Rez Home Arnold’s Life Path

Arnold Spirit Junior Born with water on brain Member of the Black-Eye-of-the-Month Club “Everyone Calls me a retard.” “My head is so big that little Indian skulls orbited around it.”

Life on the Rez (through the eyes of Arnold) Everyone knows everybody Don’t get to realize our dreams Vanishing past Alcoholism Death Poverty – Poverty = empty refrigerator + empty stomach – Poverty only teaches you how to be poor

Family “I love my family, that my folks are pretty good. They make sacrifices for me, they worry about me, talk to me, and best of all, they listen to me” Mother -drunk -wants so much for Arnold never to drink Father -drunk -spends most of his time(when not drinking) watching basketball in his room -at every sporting event of Arnold’s Mary (Mary Runs Away) -basement mole rat -writer Grandmother - “smartest person on the planet” Arnold

School Wellpinit Teachers are housed behind the school 30 year old text books Vanishing past Not a bright future (no college) Don’t get to realize your dreams Reardan Rich, white farm town Smartest kids Most athletic kids Bright future (College) Hope Opposite of the rez. Opposite of Arnold’s family Opposite of Arnold

Loses “I’m fourteen years old and I’ve been to forty-two funerals.” Oscar (Arnold’s dog and his best friend) Grandma Eugene (Dad’s best friend) Mary (Sister)

Arnold’s Realizations Arnold went through a lot in a year. He went from wanting to crawl in a hole to disappear- to enjoying life. Arnold endured more things in his first 14 years of life that most people will NEVER go through. These things only made him stronger. “I realized that, sure I was a Spokane Indian. I belonged to a tribe. But I also belonged to the tribe of American immigrants. And to the tribe of basketball players. And the tribe of bookworms…… And that’s when I knew that I was going to be okay. But it also reminded me of the people who were not going to be okay.”