An Absolutely True Diary of a Part time Indian analysis

Although the doctors predicted that he would die of hydrocephalus, Junior survives. The condition, however, leaves him with several complications that not only affect his physique adversely but also define the teasing and bullying he goes through later on. Junior’s parents are struggling with poverty and alcoholism and his sister—Mary—cannot seem to find anything worthwhile to engage in apart from spending “twenty-three hours alone in in a basement” (pp. Moreover, Junior has a friend by the name Rowdy. Rowdy gives Junior his word that he will always be there to protect him from the bullies; nonetheless Rowdy’s violent inclinations stand in his way of fully keeping the promise. This is a big risk in the sense that without full anesthesia for the medical procedure, Junior is exposed to great pain that could possible lead to further complications.

By including this incident of racism, the writer most likely intends to bring to the attention of his audience the iniquities that are committed, and often go unnoticed, in various health facilities as a result of racists’ beliefs such as the aforementioned one. Additionally, “the Indian Health Service funded major dental work only once a year, so I had to have all ten extra teeth pulled in one day, Indian Health Service also funded eyeglass purchases only once a year and offered one style: those ugly, thick, black plastic ones” (pp. 3), indicating a disturbing lack of affordable and reliable healthcare in the reservation. As a result, Junior is forced to take advantage of the annual health subsidies for the Indian population.

It is apparent that Junior’s “school and tribe are so poor that he has to study from the same dung books his parents studied from” (pp. The stark contrast between Wellpinit school with an acute lack of resources and the white Reardan community school “with a computer room and a huge chemistry lab and a drama club and two basketball gyms” (pp. 39), brings to light the often subtle nature of structural racism that is ailing even the current society. Sherman not only brings out the impact of racism in the distribution of essential resources but also in the relationships that exist between native Americans and the Whites. Racists comments like "Did you know that Indians are living proof that niggers fuck buffalo?" (pp.

As a consequence, Junior often has to trek twenty miles to get to school or to get home after school because his father often lacks gas in his car. In describing his predicament, Junior says, “My dad was supposed to pick me up. But he wasn't sure if I'd have enough gas money. Especially if he was going to stop at the rez casino and play slot machines first” (pp. From this statement, therefore, we can deduce that the addictions of Junior’s father frequently earn Junior blisters in the soul of his feet. In the article, the authors argue that addiction has far reaching consequences not only on the individual but also on the people in the immediate surrounding like family and friends.

Therefore, according to his abusive upbringing, Rowdy only comprehends one way of resolving conflicts—physical assault. Moreover, the author articulately discusses the role of alcoholism in the society through the narration of the life events that define Junior’s destiny. Accordingly, alcoholism leads not only to destructive tendencies, physical assaults and crimes of violence but also a significant number of untimely deaths. When under the influence, for instance, Rowdy destroys a minivan in the powwow. The Andruss brothers laughed and walked away” (pp. 18), the irrational physical violence attributed to alcoholism comes to light. Furthermore, Eugene is yet another victim of alcohol attributed violence. Bobby and Eugene engage in a quarrel over the last sip of a bottle of wine. Under the influence, Bobby loses it and fatefully shoots Eugene in the face (pp.