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    This document is an outline for a project analyzing dark humor, basketball as healing, and forced assimilation in Sherman Alexie's novel "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian". It examines Philip Heldrich's critical essay "Survival = Anger x Imagination" and agrees/disagrees with some of his claims about the novel. Specifically, it argues Junior is able to affect change despite his circumstances. It also discusses the significance of basketball and how Junior's identity evolves from seeing himself as belonging to many tribes rather than just one.

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    This document is an outline for a project analyzing dark humor, basketball as healing, and forced assimilation in Sherman Alexie's novel "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian". It examines Philip Heldrich's critical essay "Survival = Anger x Imagination" and agrees/disagrees with some of his claims about the novel. Specifically, it argues Junior is able to affect change despite his circumstances. It also discusses the significance of basketball and how Junior's identity evolves from seeing himself as belonging to many tribes rather than just one.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    48 views5 pages

    Project 2 Draft 1

    Uploaded by

    api-315048858
    This document is an outline for a project analyzing dark humor, basketball as healing, and forced assimilation in Sherman Alexie's novel "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian". It examines Philip Heldrich's critical essay "Survival = Anger x Imagination" and agrees/disagrees with some of his claims about the novel. Specifically, it argues Junior is able to affect change despite his circumstances. It also discusses the significance of basketball and how Junior's identity evolves from seeing himself as belonging to many tribes rather than just one.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    of 5

    VictoriaRice

    ProfSuhrSytsma
    ENG181001,Spring2016
    March17,2016

    Outline/IncompleteDraftofProject2
    Introduction
    WhenShermanAlexiescharacterJunior,from
    TheAbsolutelyTrueDiaryofaPartTime
    Indian,
    istoldaboutthedeathofhissisterhelaughs.Juniorlaughedandlaughed.[He]feltlike
    [he]mightdieoflaughing.[He]couldntfigureoutwhy[he]waslaughing(Alexie,205).His
    breakdownwasablatantexampleofthedarkhumorthatcharacterizesShermanAlexieswork.I
    willexaminetheusageofdarkhumor,basketballasanagentofhealing,andthedestructionof
    selfcausedbytheforcefulassimilationofNativeAmericansintothedominantwhiteculture.
    PhilipHeldrichsideasfromhiscriticalessayofShermanAlexiesshortfictionalwords
    The
    LoneRanger
    and
    TontoFistfightinHeaven
    and
    TheToughestIndianInTheWorld,
    Survival=
    AngerxImaginationarearguedasIfoundthatsomeclaimsmadebyHeldricharevalidwhile
    othersarefalsewhenappliedto
    TheAbsolutelyTrueDiaryofaPartTimeIndian.

    Body
    (1)MockingproblemsfacedbyNativeAmericans
    Page39ofSurvival=AngerxImagination

    AsPhilipHeldrichnotesaboutShermanAlexiesnovels,Alexietitleshisnovelswiththe
    intentionofevokingbothhumorandpathos.In
    TheAbsolutelyTrueDiaryofaPartTime
    Indian,
    thefundamentalapproachofthenovelisbothmakethereaderlaughattheadolescent
    voicethereadercaninferwiththephraseAbsolutelyTrueandtoevokeemotionwiththe
    phrasePartTimeIndian.IdisagreewiththepointHeldrichmakesthatsuchstoriesdepict
    absurdcircumstanceswithcharacterslimitedintheirabilitytoaffectchangeasthatisnottrue
    in
    TheAbsolutelyTrueDiaryofaPartTimeIndian.
    Inthenovelthemaincharacter,Junior,is
    surelyfacedwithabsurdcircumstances(suchasthedeathofthreeverycloseindividualsina
    shortamountoftime)butisabletoworkthroughthemtoaffectchange.Thechangemadeby
    Juniorhappensashebecomesmoreselfaware.Theideaofdefiningoneselfasaparttime
    Indianiscomicalandthoughtprovokingbutasthenovelprogressesitbecomesevidenttothe
    readerthatparttimeIndianwasmorethanjustalabelforJuniorandhowhevisualized
    himselfevolved.Towardstheendofthenovel,Juniorstilldoesnotseemhimselfaspartofone
    tribebutasamemberofasloughoftribes:
    Irealizedthat,sure,IwasaSpokaneIndian.Ibelongedtothattribe.ButIalsobelonged
    tothetribeofAmericanimmigrants.Andtothetribeofbasketballplayers.Andthetribe
    ofbookworms.
    Andthetribeofcartoonists.
    Andthetribeofchronicmasturbators.
    Andthetribeofteenageboys.
    Andthetribeofsmalltownkids.
    AndthetribeofPacificNorthwesterners.

    Andthetribeoftortillachipsandsalsalovers.
    Andthetribeofpoverty.
    Andthetribeoffuneralgoers.
    Andthetribeofbelovedsons.
    Andthetribeofboyswhoreallymissedtheirbestfriends.
    Itwasahugerealization.
    AndthatswhenIknewthatIwasgoingtobeokay.(Alexie,213)
    Thisisextremelysignificantin
    TheAbsolutelyTrueDiaryofaPartTimeIndian
    asitchanges
    thedefinitionofaparttimeIndian.Originallystated,Juniorfeltlikehebelongedtonosingle
    group,notwiththeotherNativesnorwithhiswhitefriends.Thisphrasechangedbytheendof
    thenoveltoshowhimasamemberofallofthegroups.
    (2)SignificanceofBasketball
    Page29ofSurvival=AngerxImagination
    Reshapinginfluence,ethicalimportanceasshownin
    TheAbsolutelyTrueDiaryofa
    PartTimeIndian
    (3)Assimilation
    Page33ofSurvival=AngerxImagination
    Glorificationofwhitepeoplein
    TheAbsolutelyTrueDiaryofaPartTimeIndian
    Juniorsrelationshipwithwhitepeople

    Conclusion
    ThepainofNativeAmericanshaveenduredisbeingovercomebyhealingdistractions.

    Ideaforfurtherresearch:researchcatharsisinNativeAmericansources
    Ifkeystohealingareexposedandexploited,couldhelptoresolvetheissuesplaguing
    reservationslikethequestioningofidentityfacedbyyoungadults.

    WorksCited
    Alexie,Sherman,andEllenForney.
    TheAbsolutelyTrueDiaryofaParttimeIndian
    .NewYork:
    Little,Brown,2007.Print.
    Berglund,Jeff,andJanRoush.
    ShermanAlexie:ACollectionofCriticalEssays
    .SaltLakeCity:
    UofUtah,2010.Print.

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