I recently read Sherman Alexie's novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. The novel has received several awards, particularly the National Book Award for Young People's Literature in 2007. I read Part-Time Indian as an assignment for an educational course regarding youth and literature, however this was not my first time encountering Alexie's novel. I had previously been suggested this novel by a friend so that I could utilize the text for an annotated bibliography focusing on alienation. I had not had the pleasure to finish reading the novel the first time around and was eager for a second attempt.
REVIEW:
While I would not assign such a novel to my middle school students (at least not without proper admittance by parents and administration), I would like to discuss my reflection of this novel as a potentially intriguing, insightful, and informational work to give to your young readers. Alexie leads his narration through the inner thoughts of an adolescent indigenous reservation student transferring to a white school in the modern day. Arnold, our main character, suffers from prejudice within his own community due to health issues, even more so when he follows the advice of his teacher to pursue education off the reservation. Attending Rearden Arnold is initially perceived as someone foreign and exotic, but wild and ignorant. Unaccustomed to the social interactions of middle class white society, Arnold struggles to find his identity between two cultures that would deem him be two different persons. The novel speaks in the voice of an adolescent allowing for an easy read, while comical drawings add breaks for those intimidated by long blocks of writing on page; yet Alexie's writing reveals more than an interesting read. Part-Time Indian reveals complex, emotionally moving insights to the inner thoughts of a young man struggling with identity while discussing common and uncommon topics of the average American adolescent. Arnold's story allows the reader to identify with the confusion, yearning, and conflicts many adolescents feel during those important identity forming years.
TO PARENTS:
While Alexie does well in eliciting sympathy for Arnold in Part-Time Indian I found myself struggling with the same impressions as from my first contact. Call me old fashion, but I find topics such as explicitly sexual descriptions or unrealistic and unhealthy (and seemingly encouraged) relationships taboo and problematic for secondary education students (6-12). (Pretty Little Liars, Twilight Saga, Nora Roberts/Janet Evanovich, and Nicholas Sparks come to mind when I say this.) I recognize such things may be allowed to many of my students by their parents, but am equally aware that other parents would prefer such topics are with held until a later date.
As to Part-Time Indian, the instances discussing bolemia and masturbation in which they are blatantly discussed and accepted by the characters have the potential of disgruntling parents uncomfortable with their 11-14 year-olds perusing. While such things as sexual activity and emotional/health disorders are commonly discussed or read about in students' personal reading, I hesitate to provide such material in regard to literary limitations placed on students by their respective guardians/parents. Although I am the teacher, I currently stand by my belief that parents are the first and foremost educational advisers in any child's life. The inclusion and important participation of guardians' in their young charges' upbringing is critical to the students' overall understanding and comprehension of lesson materials in their own personal worlds. One must remember that the child belongs to the influences, customs, and beliefs of their parents and chosen social circles until the child has come of age to accept or disregard those beliefs and social influences for himself.
