Month: May 2016

The last chapter we read was about Junior playing a basketball game.

Yes, but it was also about Junior’s choice as an individual to go to Reardan and how it affected the communities opinion towards him.

The chapter after that is ‘Red Versus White’. It is about Junior’s grandmother and that she is tolerant toward others. He talks about her having met thousands of people and treating all of them the same way and that everyone loves her and she loves everyone. She was at a mini powwow and afterwards she was walking home but she was hit by a drunk driver and killed. But she didn’t die straight away, she got to the hospital in Spokane and died in surgery due to sever internal injuries.

Junior realises that in his culture everyone is close to each other and they know all about each other, unlike in Reardan, where people are friends but don’t actually know anything about each other. Also, he realised that in his culture his parents are there for them, to talk to, but in Readran, their parents are never there for them to talk to.

I think Junior describes his grandmother as tolerant because all the other Indians would describe theirs as well travelled and kind,  but he wants to show people really how special his grandmother is on top of all the other things.

This chapter is about Native American culture but if he were to write about white culture, he might talk about how perfect their lives are and how good their off in life. Maybe about how their grandparents.

‘Life is a constant struggle between being an individual and a member of the community’

This is showed by When all the crowd went quiet they showed their regection towards him, When they crowd were taunting him, When they turned their backs on Junior, When he started to bleed because of a quarter.

“Well, life is a constant struggle between being an individual and being a member of the community.”

Constant- continuous

Struggle- problem

Between- in the middle

Individual- by yourself

Member- a part of something

Community- with a group

I think this quote means that a big problem in life is coming from a group of people you know, like a community in your birthplace, for example Junior is from the rez. But the other part of the problem is moving on to be a greater individual, like Junior leaves the rez to learn in a less bias school.

This part of the story makes me think about people who belong to a community but dosn’t feel like they are a part of it anymore, someone with no sanctuary.

“I was half indian in one place and half white in the other. I felt like i belong to wellpinit but im not respected there but i also belong in reardan with penelope but i know i dont belong there. This is what it feels like to be someone without anywhere to go.”

“Later that night, at home, i grew more saddened about the loss of my best friend, Rowdy. He was always there to talk to and now i dont have anyone. I would wish for my relationship with gordy to fill the void Rowdy’s left, but i know that noone could ever replace him.”

I try to fill Rowdy’s void with penelope but i still cant get her to love me. My life shattering with every step i take further from rowdy. He was always the one to hold me together in one piece, metaphorically and physically.

This chapter is about Junior dressing up as a homeless person.

Yes, but it is also about Junior showing us that essentially he is similar to a homeless person in that he is also poor and in need.

Racism In The Book:

-The classmates at reardan

-The teachers at reardan

-Gets discriminated by society in general; the way he talks

I think the worst case is from his classmates because peer pressure can put him into depression and they won’t be apprehended because thet is what the rest of the society thinks aswell.

I think that the racism in education has the most responsibility towards Junior because it is the only thing that could possibly raise him, in other peoples eyes, to the level of the rest of the white population.

Junior exoeriences institutional racism.

The absolutely true diary of a part time indian is about a boy named Junior who leaves his home to go to an all white school.

Yes, but it is also about how the majority oppress unfamiliar cultures.

Bait = Explicit

Deeper meaning = Implicit

This chapter is about Junior going to his new school and getting bullied. He gets called something racist and gets into his first fistfight there.

yes, but it is also about him atanding up for his culture and buffalo.

no, it is more about him being ignored by all the boys and girls in school.

yes, but it is also about him not being too scared to get help with bullies.

no, it is more about him getting used to a new place and not quite fitting in.

I think Explicit is a bait fact but implicit is something maybe implied but not said.

native americans – poor, oppressed, no rights

white americans – rich, repressed,  rights

native americans are oppressed because the white americans have sent teachers to take away their culture and make them more like white americans.

I think Junior is trying to be serious in saying that the white people have luxury and the native americans have nothing and a bad future aswell.

Chapter Summary (How to fight monsters)

Junior goes to reardan for school and he gets bullied verbally. He is ignored by most boys and girls but there are a few kids who pick on him. Junior gets offended by a racist and he punches him but the kid dosn’t fight back.