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The Absolute True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian By Sherman Alexie

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Bobby knight once said, "people change over the years, and that changes situations for good and for the bad." Often activities can change the way a person acts. Maybe even a person when talking to them for awhile. In the story, The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Sherman Alexie uses basketball to help fully understand how Junior's changing through the course of the novel. These changes come in different parts of Junior's life but show a key idea.

Basketball wasn't a big thing for Junior at a young age. Growing up in the reservation Junior wasn't the best player. Although, He did play for fun with his friend Rowdy who was a much better basketball player in the reservation. Junior states, "I mean I'd always been the lowest Indian on the reservation totem pole -- I wasn't expected to be good so I wasn't." But eventually that changed for him.

As Junior realizes he isn't going to go anywhere from the reservation he wants to make a change. Leaving the reservation was a serious matter; almost as if you're rejecting what the reservation has to give. After talking to his dad junior starts to attend Rearden High School, the high school that is 22 miles from the reservation in a white town. Rowdy …show more content…

After leaving the reservation Rowdy hated Junior on and off the basketball court. When Rearden had a game against Wellpinit, the reservation high school, Rowdy didn't take it easy on Junior. After Junior got stitches during the first quarter after being hit with a quarter on his forehead Junior got tougher. In the third quarter Junior was back in the game. "I immediately stole a pass and drove for a lay up. Rowdy was right behind me. I jumped into the air, heard the curses of two-hundred Spokanes, and then saw only a bright light as Rowdy smashed his elbow into my head and knocked me unconscious." Left with a minor concussion Junior was unable to finish the game and Rearden lost to

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When the book nears to the end, where Juniors sister had just died by being burned alive, Junior runs away from the funeral and runs into the forest and bumps into Rowdy making this an awkward moment for both of them. Near the end of the book Junior and Rowdy are not the best of friends like they used to be, but they are

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Faced with many obstacles from poverty to racial stereotypes, Junior must override them if he is to make his life better than that of fellow Indians. Interestingly, rather than letting the obstacles hold him back Junior understands that his destiny is in his own hands and he must celebrate who he is even if it means fighting. In the end, we see a boy who have managed to overcome all hardships to get to the top, even if it means making tough choices such as changing schools, therefore is could be seen that race and stereotypes only made Junior

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Junior loses a lot of friends and family at the young age of fourteen. He gets bullied because he was born with too much cerebral spinal fluid inside his skull, but he has his best friend Rowdy there to help him. Junior realizes that he needs to leave the reservation to get a better life for himself. He goes to a new school off the

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