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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
Finally listened to this one! The author is a great storyteller and I enjoyed this.
I was drawn to this book, in part, because my city has a huge aboriginal population. Walking to work on a daily basis I see the poverty and social issues that plague the Aboriginal community. I constantly see the negative. I wanted to read a perspective that was different from mine, and was hoping to gain a new understanding. While I can't say that Alexie's book changed me, I do think it is an excellent book and I think young adults, in particular, would benefit from reading it. Alexie is an incredibly talented author and manages to balance humour and tragedy. Junior's world is filled with bullying, alcoholism, and death. He could easily give up as so many of his tribe have, but he pushes himself to be the best he can be. Junior is a great character. Sympathetic, likable, funny, smart, and at times very much a teenage boy, I think many people will be able to relate to him regardless of their experiences. For such a short book, Diary of a Part-Time Indian packs a huge whollop. A funny and thought-provoking glimpse into the life on the rez it is highly recommended.
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Before reading True Diary, I knew about the Trail of Tears, yet nothing about the reality of Indian reservations. As I passed by the stunning red rocks formations of the Navajo Nation, the history of oppression failed to sink in. Life must not be so bad in such a beautiful landscape, I thought.
After reading True Diary, I see these reservations as the author say, death camps.
It is a shame when one is in pain, merely declaring so often does not guarantee the sympathy they need. Empathy is usually conditional: has this person done their best to make the most of their life given the difficult cards they are dealt? Do they have grit and positivity? Are they the shining example of an oppressed but not resentful, poor but still hopeful, abused but polite model victim? If all of the above apply, then they deserve the public’s sympathy.
Of course Alexie’s story is heard because he is that model Indian, even if he did not intend to fit into the oppressor’s gaze, or at least I don’t think so. Nerdy, sporty, trouble-less and ambitious, he is the mirror the world is comfortable holding up to any oppressed population they deem lazy, and go about their day as if the problem will be fixed if all Indians can just be as talented and conforming and pleasant as Alexie. Then they would give indigenous voice the time of day. Then Alexie would have the chance to articulate why Indian rezs are death camps, without being immediately disqualified for not fitting the classic model minority trope.
To understand why Indian reservations are death camps, I think you should go read the book. The same events and descriptions of daily life in the rez, however, might be received very differently if it is told from the perspective of any other character but Alexie - say his best friend who did not make it out of the rez successfully, or his sister who did but tragically haunted by the rez drinking culture.
In real life, Alexie’s narrative has been vehemently challenged by aspiring female writers whose ambition was crushed when they learned that his support was based on a romantic motive, rather than pure appreciation of their talents.
There is one thing this book has done well, that is the portrayal of rezs as death camps, making any attempt to question that premise simply ridiculous. As expected for a cis male writer, there are hidden, unexplored tension with female characters, which later played out in real life.
After reading True Diary, I see these reservations as the author say, death camps.
It is a shame when one is in pain, merely declaring so often does not guarantee the sympathy they need. Empathy is usually conditional: has this person done their best to make the most of their life given the difficult cards they are dealt? Do they have grit and positivity? Are they the shining example of an oppressed but not resentful, poor but still hopeful, abused but polite model victim? If all of the above apply, then they deserve the public’s sympathy.
Of course Alexie’s story is heard because he is that model Indian, even if he did not intend to fit into the oppressor’s gaze, or at least I don’t think so. Nerdy, sporty, trouble-less and ambitious, he is the mirror the world is comfortable holding up to any oppressed population they deem lazy, and go about their day as if the problem will be fixed if all Indians can just be as talented and conforming and pleasant as Alexie. Then they would give indigenous voice the time of day. Then Alexie would have the chance to articulate why Indian rezs are death camps, without being immediately disqualified for not fitting the classic model minority trope.
To understand why Indian reservations are death camps, I think you should go read the book. The same events and descriptions of daily life in the rez, however, might be received very differently if it is told from the perspective of any other character but Alexie - say his best friend who did not make it out of the rez successfully, or his sister who did but tragically haunted by the rez drinking culture.
In real life, Alexie’s narrative has been vehemently challenged by aspiring female writers whose ambition was crushed when they learned that his support was based on a romantic motive, rather than pure appreciation of their talents.
There is one thing this book has done well, that is the portrayal of rezs as death camps, making any attempt to question that premise simply ridiculous. As expected for a cis male writer, there are hidden, unexplored tension with female characters, which later played out in real life.
Few books can strike a hearty balance between funny and sad, this one has done so quite well. Arnold, or as he's more commonly referred to, Junior, grows up on a rez. He sees how people all around him have given up, but he decided to do something different, change his life and run to something better, though he doesn't know exactly what is or where he's going when he makes this decision. This book is an encouragement to all to do the same thing, try something new even if you're afraid, being stuck is the worst thing of all.