Diary Of A Part Time Indian Analysis

The power of human friendship

In Sherman Alexie’s novel “Diary Of A Part Time Indian” the origin, and the true meaning of friendship and what it’s worth is explored through the eyes of a young teen living on a reservation in Spokane WA. The teen, Arnold Jr. is experiencing the first hand effects of poverty and loss and this helps him see who is really considered a true friend and who is not. Yet he gains many life long lessons and experiences through his struggles. Such as the thought that, friendships are quite possibly one of the most important things a human can have. And that those friendships can come from some of the most unlikely places anyone would ever guess.
Alexie proves that even when two people have extremely different views on the world and and life itself, they can still become

“She looked at me and sniffed. ‘Do I know you?’ she said” (pg 73). Penelope was extremely haughty and rude when Arnold first arrived at Reardan. She assumed he was boring and a misfit because he was new and Indian. Instead of welcoming him to the high school or trying to help him she acted as if he was beneath her. “Over the next few weeks penelope and I became the hot new item at Reardan High school” (pg. 109). Penelope ended up giving Arnold a chance when he listened to her issues and her explanation of her disease that she was too afraid to tell anyone about. “But Penelope starts crying, talking about how lonely she is, and how everyone thinks her life is perfect because she’s pretty smart and smart and popular, but that she’s scared all the time, but nobody will let her be scared because she’s pretty and smart and popular (pg.108). When she accepted how kind he was, she eventually came to like him because of his personality and charm, not his social status, which she originally judged him