Abstract
Sherman Alexie's novel for young adults The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (2007) won several book awards, including the Amazon.com Best Book of the Year and the National Book Award for Young People's Literature. Reviewers praised the raw feelings and the intelligent humor that Alexie shows in his portrayal of a 14-year-old Native American boy who faces many of the ordeals that the author himself experienced as an adolescent: illness, bullying, alcoholic parents, racism, etc. His protagonist, Arnold Spirit Jr., shares with other young heroes such as Huck Finn and Holden Caulfield an urgent desire to escape, in his case from the constraints forced upon him by life on the Spokane Reservation. Interestingly, despite the immense courage and honesty that the character exudes, the book has become the target of fierce criticism as it is said to depict violence, sex, and xenophobia in ways that will hurt the sensibilities of young readers.
Highlights
Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (2007) was the author’s first foray into the young adult (YA) genre; yet, it could be evinced that he succeeded in mastering the form of this type of fiction in one single book
Most reviewers agreed that it was the raw feelings and the intelligent humor that Alexie displays in his portrayal of a fourteen-year-old Native American boy that gave the book its riveting character
As Roberta Trites has maintained, much YA fiction dives into these tricky identity questions, since the “protagonists must learn about the social forces that have made them what they are.” [4, p3] In Junior’s case, he grows increasingly aware of the limitations that his peoples’ past and current conditions on the reservation set for his future
Summary
Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (2007) was the author’s first foray into the young adult (YA) genre; yet, it could be evinced that he succeeded in mastering the form of this type of fiction in one single book. “Junior,” as he is widely known on the reservation, shares with other classic heroes such as Huck Finn and Holden Caulfield a profound desire to escape from the constraints that, in his case, life on the Spokane Reservation impose on him Like those earlier wanderers, Junior is seen to struggle with his wish to remain true to himself while, at the same time, trying to find his place as a member of a community—or more. As Roberta Trites has maintained, much YA fiction dives into these tricky identity questions, since the “protagonists must learn about the social forces that have made them what they are.” [4, p3] In Junior’s case, he grows increasingly aware of the limitations that his peoples’ past and current conditions on the reservation set for his future He will need to embark on a hazardous—and illuminating—journey that will allow him to see beyond the narrow confines that those people closest to him mark off for his life. Has taken his own belligerent position on the matter, but other specialists in the field of young adult fiction, such as James Blasingame (2007) and Steven Wolk (2009), have enriched the debate—or should we say controversy—with stimulating ideas, advocating in most instances for the author’s freedom to deal with the issues in ways that connect with the younger generations
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