Response to "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian"

My first introduction to Sherman Alexie's novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian was in my freshman year at a community college. I had always been interested in Native American culture and had read books written by Native American authors from the time I was young so I decided to enroll in a Native American literature class so I could gain even more exposure. I fell in love with this book. The way that Alexie wrote this novel is unlike any other Native American text I had read before. He was completely frank about feeling like he was caught in the in-between as he lived on the reservation, but attended a private school in Rearden with mostly white students.

Alexie communicated his difficulty finding a place where he belonged not only through narrative, but through personal sketches. This was the first time I had read a novel that incorporated pictures (I wasn't familiar with graphic novels at the time). I never got the impression that the sketches were used as filler. In fact, I feel like they were used so tactfully that they become very well integrated with the text. They allowed me to feel even more connected to the story and Alexie's experiences. Although there are some obstacles with the content in the novel, I could see myself teaching it because I believe it is a very accessible text (especially to teens) that allows students to gain a greater appreciation and maybe in some cases identify with feeling caught stuck between two cultures without being able to fully identify with one or the other.

I believe that Alexie has a unique style of writing and way of incorporating his own sketches that is far more real than many nonfiction books. Alexie does not hide behind fancy language and complicated metaphors. He is very direct and captures the perspective of a teenager incredibly well.