The Absolutely Diary Of A Part-Time Indian

Exploring Cultural Identity According to the Postsecondary National Policy Insitute, “Only 24% of Native Americans ages 18-23 are enrolled in college compared with 41% of the overall U.S. population.” (2019). Native Americans historically have had many challenges in having access to higher education.
In Sherman Alexie’s, “The Absolutely Diary of a Part-Time Indian”, Alexie shares the story of a teenage Native American boy named Junior who lives on the rez and desires to have a better education. But for this, he must attend a white school 22 miles from the rez. Despite having various forms of oppression both living on the rez and going to Reardan High School, Alexie shows Junior’s budding future through the use of literary devices and Junior’s

First of all, Alexie points to the many forms of oppressions Junior experiences. One oppression he experiences is interpersonal. On page 116, Alexie writes. “I felt like I had to prove to everybody that I was a real Indian. I felt like I had to go all cooter on everybody’s butt”. At this particular moment, Junior has to feel like he needs to prove that he is a “real” Native American by trying to behave in certain ways. This is because of the mistreatment that Native Americans have to face. This is relevant because it shows how mistreatment can make someone feel bad about themselves. It matters because we all need to treat everyone the same despite how different they may look or sound. Another oppression Junior has to overcome is ideological. Junior says, “If you speak and write in English, or Spanish, or Chinese, or any

One literary device he uses is metaphors. Alexie writes, “Reardan was the opposite of the rez..a place of hope and better chances”. (pg. 119). At this point, Junior is comparing his life on the rez and at Reardan. He uses the word “opposite” to show how different the two places are. Alexie wants us to understand that the lack of opportunities and resources can cause an impact on those such as Native Americans. Due to the lack of resources, Junior chooses to break out of the cycle of being mistreated and decides to go to Reardan. Junior compares the rez and Reardan because the rez was full of poverty and lack of opportunities, but Reardan opens a new door to hope. Another literary device Alexie uses is similies when he writes on page 16, “My hands were shaking like crazy milk”. Here, Junior is expressing how nervous and scared he is on that first day of attending Reardan. He uses this simile to show how nervous he is. Alexie uses this simile to show the reader Junior’s emotions ad how much he can handle such a big change. The literary device is exaggerating his hands shaking like a crazy glass of milk. Of the many literary devices Alexie employs, these two stand out that gives a glimpse into Junior’s