There are many themes prevalent throughout The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. One of these themes is the struggle to determine one’s identity. Junior had always identified himself as a typical Native American youth. He participated in traditional tribe activities and attended the school on the reservation. After he received the idea of leaving the reservation and attending a white school, though, he began to question his identity. He felt as if he was giving up his Native American heritage by leaving the reservation to attend school, and he was ridiculed for this action by other members of his tribe. At the same time, he felt like he was adopting typical American procedures, as he was preparing to live a life that closely resembled a typical American life. He struggled to determine whether he should identify himself as a Native American or not.
Another theme present within the novel is poverty. Junior’s family, along with every other family on the reservation, lives in poverty. They struggle to have the money for essentials, such as gasoline to drive Junior to school in Reardan. The low amount of money Junior’s family does have is typically wasted on alcohol or on gambling by Junior’s father. It is evident throughout the text how devastating living in poverty can be to an individual, especially to a child. One evening when Junior was out with friends, Alexie writes, “‘I, er, forgot my wallet. I left my money at home, man.’ ‘Dude!’ Roger said. ‘Man, don’t sweat it. You should have said something earlier. I got you covered.’” (Alexie 126). It was later stated, however, that Arnold had not simply forgotten his money. He did not have enough money to pay for this outing. Junior’s poverty affects every aspect of his life, causing it to be a major theme in the book.
A third theme within The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is friendship. Junior’s strongest friendship while on the reservation was with a boy named Rowdy. Their friendship was mutual and exclusive; each boy was each other’s only friend. After Junior informed Rowdy of his plans to attend the school in Reardan, however, Rowdy became offended and stopped being friends with Junior. At Reardan High School, Junior created new friendships with characters named Eugene, Penelope, and Roger. However, none of these friendships measured up to his prior friendship with Rowdy, and he often found himself reminiscing about their friendship. In the end of the novel, the friendship between Rowdy and Junior is restored.
Finally, the theme of education is widely prevalent throughout the novel. Before Junior transferred to Reardan, his old school on the reservation was lacking a quality education. The school did not have the money to purchase new materials, forcing students to use the materials that had been in use for years prior. Teachers were not held to high standards, as it was described that one teacher occasionally forgot to come to school. Reardan, however, was filled with new equipment, high-quality teachers, and an organized system of learning. Junior’s transfer to Reardan was with the intent of using these aspects of Reardan for his own benefit. Education shaped the novel and the conflict arising within Junior about whether he was still Native American or not.
Another theme present within the novel is poverty. Junior’s family, along with every other family on the reservation, lives in poverty. They struggle to have the money for essentials, such as gasoline to drive Junior to school in Reardan. The low amount of money Junior’s family does have is typically wasted on alcohol or on gambling by Junior’s father. It is evident throughout the text how devastating living in poverty can be to an individual, especially to a child. One evening when Junior was out with friends, Alexie writes, “‘I, er, forgot my wallet. I left my money at home, man.’ ‘Dude!’ Roger said. ‘Man, don’t sweat it. You should have said something earlier. I got you covered.’” (Alexie 126). It was later stated, however, that Arnold had not simply forgotten his money. He did not have enough money to pay for this outing. Junior’s poverty affects every aspect of his life, causing it to be a major theme in the book.
A third theme within The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is friendship. Junior’s strongest friendship while on the reservation was with a boy named Rowdy. Their friendship was mutual and exclusive; each boy was each other’s only friend. After Junior informed Rowdy of his plans to attend the school in Reardan, however, Rowdy became offended and stopped being friends with Junior. At Reardan High School, Junior created new friendships with characters named Eugene, Penelope, and Roger. However, none of these friendships measured up to his prior friendship with Rowdy, and he often found himself reminiscing about their friendship. In the end of the novel, the friendship between Rowdy and Junior is restored.
Finally, the theme of education is widely prevalent throughout the novel. Before Junior transferred to Reardan, his old school on the reservation was lacking a quality education. The school did not have the money to purchase new materials, forcing students to use the materials that had been in use for years prior. Teachers were not held to high standards, as it was described that one teacher occasionally forgot to come to school. Reardan, however, was filled with new equipment, high-quality teachers, and an organized system of learning. Junior’s transfer to Reardan was with the intent of using these aspects of Reardan for his own benefit. Education shaped the novel and the conflict arising within Junior about whether he was still Native American or not.