
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Sherman Alexie (2007)
“A boy draws cartoons to survive. His reservation wants him to stay. His ambition forces him to leave. Both choices cost him everything.”
EraContemporary
Pages230
Difficulty★☆☆☆☆ Accessible
AP Appearances2
Character Analysis
Junior is defined by the gap between his circumstances and his ambitions — and by the fact that he refuses to let the circumstances win. He is physically vulnerable, economically desperate, socially isolated in two separate communities, and one of the funniest, most perceptive narrators in YA literature. His cartoons are his survival mechanism and his art form. His tragedy is that surviving requires leaving people behind.