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Hermila Parra Martinez

May 20,2016
Final Draft
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie, is an inspiring
novel about a young Native American boy who goes out into the white world and risks
everything to achieve a better education. Arnold, the main character, lives on an Indian
reservation surrounded by death, alcoholism, and hopelessness, yet he is determined to go
against the odds to break the vicious stereotypes that surrounds his community. Alexie fills his
novel with life lessons that provide teen with hope and encouragement for teens who many be in
a similar situation who are struggling to break out of the negative influences that surround their
lives. Some readers like, Meghan Cox Gurdon, believe that the novel should be banned from all
schools because of the harsh content the novel introduces to young teens, in fear that they, young
teens, will be influenced to act on the negativity the novel introduces. However, I disagree with
people like Gurdon because I think that teens that read this novel can really connect to the issues
that arise in the novel. Therefore, believe this novel should not be banned from schools and
young teen should be encouraged to read any novels they can connect with regardless of the
content.
Firstly, Gurdon posted a review titled Darkness Too Visible for the novel, The Absolutely True
Diary of a Part-Time Indian, she started of it off by telling an elaborated story about a mother
who walked into a bookstore and could not find a book for her teenage daughter that was to her
liking. Gordon mentions that although there were, Hundreds of lurid and dramatic covers stood
out on the racks before her (the mother), and there was, she felt, nothing, not a thing, that I
could imagine giving my daughter (Course Reader,191 2). Gurdon then goes on to saying that
the novels available for young teens nowadays are too dark for their young minds and when

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reading this books, they, will find himself surrounded by images not of joy or beauty but of
damage, brutality and losses of the most horrendous kinds (191, 5). But the reality is that life
isnt always beautiful, its deformed, twisted and crooked. These are that qualities that make like
beautiful and unique and form us into the people we are today. Although, there are instance in the
novel where Arnold said racist things about himself, we learn in the novel that he is influenced
by his community to believe in negative self-image of Native Americans.
we reservation Indians dont get to realize our dreams. We dont get those chances. Or
choices. Were just poor. Thats all we where.
It sucks to be poor, and it sucks to feel that you somehow deserve to be poor. You start
believing that youre poor because your stupid and ugly. And then you start believing that youre
stupid and ugly because youre Indian. And because youre Indian you stat to believe youre
destined to be poor. Its an ugly circle and theres nothing you can do about it (ATD,13).
There are many racist stereotypes that surround the Native American community that
makes them think believe that they are worthless and stupid just because of who they are. I
believe that this is part of the horrendous things that Gurdon is referring to when she wrote the
review, and although I can agree that racism being a horrible thing to talk about, I think it is
something that needs to be talked about because of its strong presence in our society.
For the readers, like Gurdon, who find it insulting and offensive to talk racism in this
novel, I wonder how racism affect them? Gurdons background is nothing like the character in
the novel. She lives in a highly privileged white community. According to Peggy McIntosh,
whites are carefully taught not recognize white white privilege, making them blind to reality
that others live in (CR, p 205). People like Gurdon want to protect their children from knowing
the advantage they live in for being born white in order to make them, think of their lives as

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morally neutral, normative and average. I think that the ban of this novel is in interest to protect
the privileged minds who are not aware of the hate that surrounds the people out of their
community. Privileges parents may be the ones who find such racial content offensive in this
novel because they feel their children should not have to worry about issues like the one
presented in the novel.
Many other readers also suggest that the novel praises white supremacy while opens up
about education gap between white community and the reservation. When Arnold started high
school he is angry with the lack of resources and expectation on behave of the school to provide
their students with updated information, My school and my tribe are so poor and sad that we
have to study from the same dang books our parents studied from (ATD,31). Arnolds teacher,
Mr. P, understood his frustration and confesses to Arnold, We were supposed to make you give
up being Indian., All these kids given up, because the teachers with in the reservation school
system wanted to make them feel stupid. Mr. P encouraged Arnold to get out of the reservation
because unlike the people in his community, You cant give up. You wont give up. You threw
that book in my face because somewhere inside you refused to give up (ATD,43). This gave
Arnold hope for become more than what is expected from him while living on the reservation.
His grew believing that white people deserved better things like education because they were
white and deserves more and lives better. All this assumption led him to believe there was no
hope for while he stayed on the reservation and decides to go to Reardan, a school off the
reservation. Arnold comes to realize that anything is possible if he steps out of his comfort zone
and take a risk no other Indian has ever taken. He discovers that outside the reservation he is
allowed to dream and the possibilities are endless. While the education gap is a problem, Arnold

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seems to worship his white classmates while trashing his roots, we Indians were the worst of
times and those Reardan kids were the best of times.
Those kids were magnificent.
They knew everything.
And they were beautiful.
They were beautiful and smart.
They were beautiful and smart and epic.
They were filled with hope. (ATD,51)
Arnold sees the white world filled with more possibility and success and see his
community like trash, I didnt deserve to be there. I knew it; all of those kids knew it. Indians
dont deserve shit (ATD,57-58). Although I understand where my opponents state that the novel
praises the white culture, I believe that opening about white supremacy and the education
between whites and people of color helps readers be aware of the cultural difference that are
present in our communities. Being aware of the inequality in our community, allows others to
create a change and close the gaps.
Toward the end of the novel, Arnold is more confident in himself and feels stronger and
more willing to make something better out of himself. He discovers thats live is about risks and
courage. He is no longer afraid to admit who he is and where he is from. His classmates at
Reardan see him as an equal and best of all they see him as a human being and not a savage
animal. Many other readers my say that the novel promotes negative self esteem that young
readers can develop from reading this novel, although there is negative imagery presented in the
novel there is a bigger lesson to be learned. Arnold overcome all the negative expectations that

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surround his as a Native American in his community and transforms to a better version of his
self.
In conclusion, the novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, should not be
banned from schools because there are bigger moral lessons to be learned from students who
read this novel. A lot of teens can reflect and relate to the situation in the novel which engages
them continue reading a novel they can relate to. Everyone else that is against this novel being
available to young teens at school, are against the book to protect their personal interest and
white privilege and overall that is not a valid reason to get rid of the novel. It would be a crime to
limit young readers to literature that they could relate to just because adults think their minds are
too weak and delicate to learn about real world problem. Limiting young teens, like unrealistic,
from the truth puts them endanger of being uninformed and exposes them to the harsh reality
they will learn when they go out into the world alone.