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VictoriaRice
Dr.SuhrSytsma
ENG181001,Spring2016
March24,2016
Project2,FinalDraft1(Draft3)

BallingNotBawling
WhenShermanAlexiescharacterJunior,from
TheAbsolutelyTrueDiaryofa
PartTimeIndian,
istoldaboutthedeathofhissisterhehasanuncontrollablelaughingfit.
Juniorlaughedandlaughed.[He]feltlike[he]mightdieoflaughing.[He]couldntfigureout
why[he]waslaughing(Alexie,205).Hisbreakdownwasablatantexampleofthedarkhumor
thatcharacterizesShermanAlexieswork.Thedeathofhissisterisdefinitelynotthefirst
extremedarkhumoroneencountersin
TheAbsolutelyTrueDiaryofaPartTimeIndian
asthe
samestrangeresponsetodeathisalsogivenatJuniorsgrandmotherswakewhereAlexiestates
that,Whenitcomestodeath,weknowthatlaughterandtearsareprettymuchthesamething.
Iwillexaminetheusageofdarkhumor,basketballasanagentofhealing,andthe
destructionofselfcausedbytheforcefulassimilationofNativeAmericansintothedominant
whiteculture.PhilipHeldrichsideasfromhiscriticalessayofShermanAlexiesshortfictional
words
TheLoneRanger
and
TontoFistfightinHeaven
and
TheToughestIndianInTheWorld,

Survival=AngerxImaginationarearguedasIfoundthatsomeclaimsmadebyHeldrichare
validwhileothersarefalsewhenappliedto
TheAbsolutelyTrueDiaryofaPartTimeIndian.


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AsPhilipHeldrichnotesaboutShermanAlexiesnovels,Alexietitleshisnovelswiththe
intentionofevokingbothhumorandpathos.In
TheAbsolutelyTrueDiaryofaPartTime
Indian,
thefundamentalapproachofthenovelisbothmakethereaderlaughattheadolescent
voicethereadercaninferwiththephraseAbsolutelyTrueandtoevokeemotionwiththe
phrasePartTimeIndian.
Junior,themaincharacterof
TheAbsolutelyTrueDiaryofa
PartTimeIndian,
ishormonal,headstrong,andlookingforacommunitywherehefeelsathome.
Althoughhefeelsasifheisatraitor(asmuchofthecommunityofhisreservationdoes)he
defiantlycontinuestogotoReardan,apredominatelywhitehighschoollocatedoffofthe
reservation.
ThegreatupsetcausedbyJuniorsdecisiontoattendaschooloffthereservationhas
ledmetodisagreewiththepointHeldrichmakesthatsuchstoriesdepictabsurdcircumstances
withcharacterslimitedintheirabilitytoaffectchangeasthatisnottruein
TheAbsolutelyTrue
DiaryofaPartTimeIndian.
Inthenovelthemaincharacter,Junior,issurelyfacedwithabsurd
circumstances(suchaslouddisapprovalfromhiscommunityandthedeathsofthreeveryclose
individualsinashortamountoftime)butisabletoworkthroughthemtoaffectchangeina
manner
thatdoesnotmakehimappearlimitedtothereader.Hemanagestokeephissanityand
overcometheobstaclesthatgetinhiswayasheworkstowardsabetterlife,oneoffofthe
reservation.
ThechangesmadebyJuniorunfoldpriortohimevenbeingselfaware,ashecreates
upsetbybeingphysicallydifferentgrowingup.Theideaofdefiningoneselfasaparttime
Indianiscomicalandthoughtprovokingbutasthenovelprogressesitbecomesevidenttothe
readerthatparttimeIndianwasmorethanjustalabelforJuniorandhowhevisualized
himselfevolved.Towardstheendofthenovel,Juniorstilldoesnotseemhimselfaspartofone
tribebutasamemberofasloughoftribes:


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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.Themeaningofthisphrasehad
evolvedbytheendofthenoveltoshowhimasamemberofallofthegroups.Hewasnolonger
aparttimeIndianandparttimenothingbutnowpartsofeverywherehefoundhebelonged.
Heldrichclaimsonpage29of
ShermanAlexie:ACollectionofCriticalEssays
that
basketballactsasatragicomicmetaphorthathumorouslyspeakstothoseonthereservation


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aboutseriousproblems,andfurtherassumesethicalimportance.Tobackuphistheory,
Heldrichusesaquotefrom
TheLoneRanger
,Theresadefinitehistoryofreservationheroes
whoneverfinishhighschool,whoneverfinishbasketballseasons.(Alexie,47)
In
The
AbsolutelyTrueDiaryofaPartTimeIndian
,basketballisanintegralpartofthelivesofthe
youngboysonthereservation.Manyimportantmomentsinthenovelunfoldduringbasketball
games.TherivalrybetweenthebasketballteamatReardan,apredominatelywhiteschool,and
thereservationbecomesintensifiedasJuniorleavesthereservationandstartstoplayfor
Reardan.ThisactsasadividingfactorbetweenJuniorwhoplaysbasketballatReardanandhis
bestfriendRowdywhoplaysbasketballonthereservation.
BasketballalsoworkstobringJunior
andRowdytogetherattheendofthenovel:

RowdyandIplayedoneononeforhours.Weplayeduntildark.Weplayeduntilthe
streetlightslitupthecourt.Weplayeduntilthebatsswoopeddownatourheads.We
playeduntilthemoonwashugeandgoldenandperfectinthedarksky.(Alexie,230)
Whilebasketballplayedanimportantrolein
TheAbsolutelyTrueDiaryofaPartTimeIndian,
I
donotagreewithHeldrichsclaimthatbasketballisametaphorforseriousongoingNative
Americanproblems.Basketballisregardedinthepeacebothasadividingandhealingfactor.
Heldrichcomestotermswith
ToughestIndian
onpage34of
ShermanAlexie:A
CollectionofCriticalEssays
whentheywriteabouttheconflictionMaryLynn,anIndian
woman,feelsinShermanAlexiesshortstoryAssimilation:
Asfarasherloveforherhusbandgoes,thereisalwaysanaccompanying,unbreachable
distancegeneratedbytheirracialdifference(ToughestIndian,20).


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WhileanalyzingthisstatementIcouldnothelpbuttoberemindedoftherelationshipbetween
JuniorandhiswhitefriendsandgirlfriendatReardanin
TheAbsolutelyTrueDiaryofa
PartTimeIndian.
AlexieshowedhowJunioridolizeswhitepeopleasshownonpage57witha
sketchJuniordrawsofhimselfwithhalfofhimwhiteandhalfofhimIndian.Thehalfwiththe
IndianJuniorhasdescriptorslikeavanishingpastandbonecrushingreality.Ontheside
withthewhiteJuniorabrightfuture,positiverolemodels,andhopearewritten.Idonot
seethisunbreachabledistancebetweentheracesasanydistanceisclosedasthenovel
progresses.Juniorlearnsinthenovelthatthereismoretobeingagoodpersonthanskincolor,as
communicatedonpage176of
TheAbsolutelyTrueDiaryofaPartTimeIndian
inanencounter
withJuniorandhisteacher,Mrs.Jeremy
:
Iusedtothinktheworldwasbrokendownbytribes,Isaid.Byblackandwhite.By
Indianandwhite.ButIknowthatisnttrue.Theworldisonlybrokenintotwotribes:
Thepeoplewhoareassholesandthepeoplewhoarenot.
ItisapparentatthispivotalmomentinthebookthatJuniorhasfoundhimselfcloseto/inatribe
withpeopleofdifferentraces.Thedecidingfactorforfittingcommunitywasnotskincolorbut
thequalityoftheindividual.
ThepainofNativeAmericanshaveenduredisbeingovercomebyhealingdistractions.
Ifthekeystohealingareexposedandexploiteditcouldhelptoresolvetheissuesplaguing
reservationslikethequestioningofidentityfacedbyyoungadults.Thatiswhymyideafor
furtherresearchisstudyingeffectivecatharsisinNativeAmericansocieties.


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WorksCited
Alexie,Sherman,andEllenForney.
TheAbsolutelyTrueDiaryofaParttimeIndian
.NewYork:
Little,Brown,2007.Print.
Heldrich,Philip."Survival=AngerxImagination
ShermanAlexie:ACollectionofCritical
Essays
.SaltLakeCity:UofUtah,
2010.2541.Print