Stuck in a Place Between

Beginning Paragraph Where do you belong? For Arnold “Junior” Spirit, the main character in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, the answer to that question crystalizes during his first year stuck between two different worlds. Junior lives on the Spokane Indian reservation. He was born with a rare brain condition that left him with a large head, lanky body, and impeded speech—all of which make him a target for bullies. He is smart and ambitious, qualities that also make him a social outcast on the reservation. At least he has his best friend and protector, Rowdy, by his side. But that all changes when Junior leaves his reservation town of Wellpinit to go to the all-white high school in a neighboring farm town. The decision leaves him feeling like the ultimate outsider, a traitor on the reservation and a stranger in his new school. Thesis Statement Through courage, resiliency, and help from a few friends, Junior ultimately discovers a new sense of belonging and self-worth.

Topic Sentence Junior faces much adversity both on the reservation and at his new school. Even before he decides to attend Reardan High School, bullies regularly pick fights with him. Source Quotation “My all-time record was five wins and one hundred and twelve losses” (62). Rowdy usually protects him, but he feels betrayed by Junior’s school decision. Labeled a traitor by his neighbors and without a friend to protect him, Junior becomes fearful of stepping outside his house. And it’s not as if his home is a sparkling palace. His parents are supportive and loving, but they, like the majority of other families on the “rez,” are extremely poor. “It sucks to be poor,” Junior explains, “and it sucks to feel that you somehow deserve to be poor. . . . Because you’re Indian you start believing you’re destined to be poor” (13). Being the only Indian at Reardan High School brings another set of challenges. He initially feels dumber and less worthy than his classmates. He’s bullied frequently, this time with racist insults rather than violence. And when he’s not bullied, he’s ignored. On the rare occasions he has enough money for lunch, he eats alone. It’s a confusing existence in both worlds. At Reardan, he feels “half Indian,” and on the reservation, he feels “half white.”

Transition Despite this adversity, Junior’s courage and resiliency lead to positive changes. To begin with, his decision to attend Reardan High School is extremely courageous. He knows he has a better chance of getting into college with an education from the better-resourced Reardan, and the opportunity to improve his future outweighs the stigma that will follow him on the reservation. After a tough start at Reardan, he stands up to a bully and earns his respect. He outsmarts one of his teachers, which makes him realize he’s no less smart than any of his classmates. He works up the nerve to talk to a crush. He even tries out for and makes the varsity basketball team as a freshman. These experiences teach Junior the value of stepping outside of his comfort zone.

Middle Paragraph Throughout the book, Junior defies expectations. He understands the low expectations of young Indians living on a reservation and sees what happens when his peers become resigned to them. “We reservation Indians don’t get to realize our dreams,” he says, “We don’t get those chances. Or choices. We’re just poor. That’s all we are” (13). He also comes to understand the limited expectations of students living in rural communities. He says of himself and his crush, Penelope, “We were supposed to be happy with our limitations. But there was no way Penelope and I were going to sit still. Nope, we both wanted to fly” (112). Junior's last name of Spirit is appropriate for someone whose ambitions help him soar past stereotypes.

Yet Junior also discovers that ambition and resiliency are not always enough to overcome tough circumstances. He also needs the support of other people. For example, Gordy, the class genius and an outsider himself, is the first Reardan student to stick up for Junior. They strike up a friendship, which eases Junior’s loneliness. Roger, the popular bully who Junior stood up to, convinces Junior to try out for basketball and ends up mentoring him. His basketball coach also does wonders for his confidence. He tells Junior, “You can do it.” These simple words make a big impact: “Do you understand how amazing it is to hear that from an adult? Do you know how amazing it is to hear that from anybody?” (189). And at home, he gathers strength from the support of his family, even as most others in Wellpinit, including Rowdy, have yet to forgive him.

Without this support system, Junior may not have been able to overcome the tragedy that strikes his family and community. First, a drunk driver kills his grandmother. Then his family friend is shot and killed during a drunken argument with a friend. Finally, his sister, who has fled the reservation, dies during a house fire after a party. Alcohol is involved in each tragedy, and the book as a whole takes a critical view of alcohol abuse. “I’m fourteen years old and I’ve been to forty-two funerals,” he laments (199). Both the Wellpinit and Reardan communities help Junior heal. The tragedies teach him the importance of having a support system to lean on as well as the value of offering himself to be leaned upon.

Ending Paragraph At the beginning of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Junior is apprehensive to leave the familiar surroundings of Wellpinit, but in the end it was the right decision. He goes from thinking he “deserves” to be poor to resisting all limitations. His year at Reardan stretches his imagination to what is possible for his future. It reveals an inner strength, and teaches him to defy stubborn stereotypes. By interacting with people who neither look like him nor have the same upbringing as him, Junior sees new possibilities for himself but also a sense of unity with strangers. “If you let people into your life a little bit, they can be pretty [darn] amazing” (129). In the end, Junior finds his sense of belonging resides in both Wellpinit and Reardan. His leap of courage is a lesson for all of us to step outside of our comfort zones, embrace different people and cultures, and broaden our ambitions.