Analysis Of Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian

An individual that conforms to society will only go as far as society allows. It seems as if an individual’s personal aspirations are held at the will of society’s judgment if there is even a slight whiff of deviation from the ‘social norm.’ Arnold is a teenage boy who dreams big but feels limited due to his circumstances, so he seeks better education at Reardan. On the surface, Sherman Alexie’s, “The Absolutely True Diary of A Part-Time Indian” portrays a teenager’s struggle of poverty growing up on an Indian reservation, however, it more importantly conveys an individual’s struggle against societal constraints. Arnold has a clear conscious when it comes to the reality of the poverty he lives in. The author communicates this, “And because you 're Indian you start believing you 're destined to be poor. It 's an ugly circle and there 's nothing you can do about it” (13). The author alludes to the circle of life, which repeats itself when something dies it gives rise to a new life; a cyclical eternity of death and rebirth. Arnold applies this cyclical concept to his situation, insisting that his life of poverty was inevitable because the Indians from which he originated were also in a state of destitution. Arnold views his poverty as a societal prison that keeps his dreams out of reach. Arnold reflects, “Poverty doesn’t give you strength or teach you lessons about perseverance. No poverty only teaches you how to be poor” (13). The author uses this line as a tool to show