Sherman Alexie Indian Irony

In the novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Native American author Sherman Alexie covers the struggles of Indians living in poverty on the Spokane Indian Reservation. This story tells about Junior’s upbringing on the reservation and informs people about his family's struggles with poverty and the hardships they had to face because of it. Alexie uses conflict, irony, and symbolism.To help people understand the idea of poverty on the rez, and how it affected him, his freinds, and family.

Alexie uses symbolism to represent poverty on the Spokane reservation. When Junior sees his mother’s name on the book that he was about to kiss. The book read “This Book Belongs To Agnes Adams”(Alexie 31) Junior gets infuriated about this because it shows the school cannot afford new books. He ends up throwing the book at his teacher Mr. P because of his rage. It is evident that poverty affects this, because it makes him so frustrated that there unable to afford book he does somethign out of charecter. Also the symbolism is apperant here when he sees the name it reminds him of his poverty. Another place poverty is seen is when Junior’s dad

When Junior walks downstairs his dad says “dont have enough gas”(Alexie 70). This quote uses conflict to show who Junior cannot afford things most people can. Junior just needs a ride to school but his dad cannot afford it this presents conflict because he now needs a ride. This just shows the poverty they face Junior can even get a ride because his dad has no gas money. Another example of conflict is “What kind of job can a reservation Indian boy get”(Alexie 10). This quote shows how Juniors goes through stuggles with money because nobody wants to hire a “Resevation Indian boy”. This helps present how hard it is for a avrage kid on the reservation get a job so they would struggle with money because of this