Themes: Racism and Poverty
Racism is a constant in Junior’s life: early in the novel he notes that a white dentist gave him less pain medication for a procedure since he believed Indigenous people only need half as much Novocain as white people. The procedure was a multiple tooth extraction: Junior had ten teeth removed on one day, since “Indian Health Service funded major dental work only once a year.” Thus, racist attitudes and a broken welfare system work together to ensure Junior receives half the pain medication for a single tooth extraction to manage the pain of a ten-tooth procedure. While Junior narrates the incident with bleak humor, the humor only highlights the fact that such incidents are a daily reality for Junior. Later, Mr. P, the well-intentioned white geometry teacher, tells Junior that their teacher training instructed them to “kill the Indian to save the child,” a metaphor justifying corporal punishment toward rez students. Mr. P is adamant that Junior leave the rez because he knows the system is designed to confine students to the reservation and make them miss wider opportunities. While racist injustices against Indigenous people may seem a matter of history, racial discrimination is all-pervasive and omnipresent.
At Reardan, Junior notes that even though he is scrawny, bullies are afraid to hit him because he is Indigenous and thus, in their eyes, a potential killer. Because the wider world displays such racist attitudes, many Indigenous people believe they are safer on the rez. However, the system does not provide many opportunities for economic betterment within the rez. These two factors lock the people on Junior’s reservation in a vicious cycle of poverty. Junior notes that his parents are poor not because of their choices but because they came from “poor people who came from poor people who came from poor people, all the way back to the very first poor people.” What Junior doesn’t say outright is that the very first poor people of his tribe were made poor by white colonizers who robbed them of their lands and systematically attempted to degrade their culture.
Junior does not romanticize poverty. He states that “poverty doesn’t give you strength or teach you lessons about perseverance. No, poverty only teaches you how to be poor.” Poverty means a lack of opportunities; the more the intergenerational lack of opportunities, the harder it is to escape the cycle of poverty. Linked with poverty is the motif of alcoholism. Junior’s grandmother is killed by a drunk Indigenous driver; his father’s friend Eugene is shot in a fight over a sip of wine; and his sister, Mary, can’t escape a fatal fire because of being unconscious from heavy drinking. Alcohol is conflated with death and is omnipresent. Junior’s parents both drink, as does Rowdy’s cruel father. Junior realizes that alcoholism is rampant on the rez because people want to dull the emotional pain of poverty and dispossession. Junior’s observations take on a greater potency when viewed in historical context: it was colonizers who introduced Indigenous people to alcohol. Therefore, it is not a matter of simple choice or willpower to escape the cycle of racism and poverty.
Expert Q&A
Why is Junior cynical about white teachers in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian?
Junior is cynical about white teachers due to cultural and personal reasons. Historically, white people have oppressed Native Americans, leading to deep-seated mistrust. Junior's experiences reinforce this skepticism, as he sees white teachers as either condescending "do-gooders" or insensitively detached. The outdated resources in his school symbolize the neglect and devaluation of Native students. Additionally, Junior's identity struggle as a "part-time Indian" contributes to his ambivalence and criticism towards white educators.
What are two examples of discrimination against Junior in the first 150 pages of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian?
Junior experiences discrimination in several ways. First, his dentist, believing that Indians feel less pain, gives him only half the dose of novocaine. Additionally, Junior receives poor healthcare and education services on the reservation, such as outdated textbooks and underqualified teachers. He also faces prejudice from his peers; Rowdy insults and hits him for transferring to a predominantly white school, and his new classmates stare at him as if he were an anomaly.
What is the depiction of the Spokane Indian Reservation in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian?
The Spokane Indian Reservation is depicted as a place of poverty and limited opportunities in "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian." Residents, including Junior's family, struggle financially, and many adults turn to alcohol. Dreams are often unfulfilled due to the lack of resources. The reservation symbolizes despair and a loss of hope, contrasting with the potential opportunities Junior sees in the nearby white town of Reardan, prompting his decision to seek a better future there.
What race issues are present in Junior's story?
Race issues in Junior's story include encountering racism and microaggressions at Reardan High School, where the mascot is an Indian, symbolizing cultural insensitivity. Junior faces racist comments from classmates and Penelope's father. Additionally, systemic racism and historical violence against Native Americans contribute to the poverty and alcoholism on the reservation where Junior's family lives, highlighting the ongoing impact of attempted genocide on their community.
What does Junior's relation of Oscar's death in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian say about poverty?
Junior's account of Oscar's death highlights the harsh realities of poverty, emphasizing the inability to afford essential services like healthcare. In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Junior's family can't afford a vet for their sick dog, Oscar, illustrating the broader theme of systemic poverty on the Spokane Reservation. This situation reflects the oppressive cycle of poverty that limits access to basic needs and opportunities, and underscores Junior's desire for change and betterment.
Junior's perspective on the worst aspect of poverty in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Junior's perspective on the worst aspect of poverty in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is that it steals hope. He believes that poverty limits opportunities and dreams, making it difficult for individuals to envision a better future or escape their current circumstances.
Poverty and Class in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, poverty and class are central themes impacting Junior's life. Junior's low self-esteem exacerbates his poverty, as highlighted by Mr. P, who urges him to believe in a brighter future beyond the reservation. Junior hides his poverty at Reardan to avoid further marginalization, as the school represents wealth and privilege. Poverty perpetuates a cycle for Junior's family, linked to broader issues on the reservation, such as alcoholism and limited opportunities. The novel contrasts the impoverished conditions on the reservation with the affluence at Reardan, illustrating class disparities through educational inequalities and societal attitudes toward Native Americans.
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