The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian3

“Let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.”2 Paul the Apostle was quite the writer of classical quotes, as this one can be used to illustrate the constant struggle of the Native Americans living in reservations as well as the Corinthians he wrote to. Throughout their lives, Native Americans often fall prey to alcoholism and the challenges that come with it. This issue will be approached through the usage and explanation of three main arguments: Firstly, by looking at the protagonist’s family in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian3, and secondly, by considering the Spokane community as a whole in the same book, and lastly, by reflecting on the real-life situation, it is possible to paint a clear picture of alcohol’s role in Native

The Spirit family in Alexie’s book is composed of many different personalities, and can in many ways be considered a stereotypical Native American family. In the centre of this family stands the teenage boy Arnold “Junior” Spirit. Junior’s father is an alcoholic who runs away from problems and drowns sorrows with spirits. Similarly, Junior’s mother has never accomplished her lifelong dream of going to college3a, and she joins her husband in seeking comfort in alcohol. A more extreme example of this, the father’s best friend, Eugene, is a proper drunkard, yet at the same time a pivotal character concerning Arnold’s social status. Lastly, there are Junior’s sister and grandmother. Numerous times throughout the novel, his grandmother serves as a source of inspiration and advice, whereas his sister is absent, pursuing her fortune, during most of the book. In brief, this social group is very chaotic and faces many challenges over the course of time, out of which quite a lot can be linked with

With regards to the fact that not all families may be represented or presented in the novel, it is possible to discern some key aspects that apply to “all” Spokane Indians through certain events. One of these events is the revelation which Junior has in chapter 4, where he learns that “My school and my tribe are so poor and sad that we have to study from the same dang books our parents studied from.” (Alexie, p. 31). This evidence suggests that there is a vicious cycle present in the Spokane community. The link and key word that hints to this cycle is “sad”, because sadness and alcoholism often go hand in hand. Subsequently, the cycle is as follows: The Spokane Indians begin drinking because they are sad and depressed, but after a certain amount of time the intoxication wears off and they are inclined to drink even more as their state of mind has worsened. This “Vicious Cycle of Alcohol Depression”1 is, sadly, a key characteristic of the Spokane community, leading to a constant population of either drunk, demoralized or depressed