Alexie, Sherman, and Ellen Forney. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian: A Novel. Detroit, MI: Gale Cengage Learning, 2008. Print.
My chosen theme is perseverance.
Junior, the protagonist of the story, has persevered since his birth. Born with too much cerebral spinal fluid inside his skull, he was forced to battle for his life at a young age. Even after surviving the surgery to drain the fluid, he is bullied on his reservation because of permanent disabilities caused by the fluid, like his lisp. Junior, sick of his treatment on the reservation and wanting a better education, decides to switch to a country school despite suspecting that the people there are racist. This decision costs Junior his best friend, Rowdy, and the respect of most people on his reservation, but he preservers through the disappointment. Thanks to his perseverance, by the end of the story, Junior is valued by his new classmates, has a spot on the school's basketball team and has his whole class' support when a family member dies. Junior even manages to get Rowdy back as a friend because of his persistent efforts.
This theme hasn't taught me anything new, but I can say that it makes me feel better about my situation in life. Junior lives in poverty and he has battled racism far often than I have even encountered it. I believe that the main lesson of the story is that you shouldn't let your current situation limit you from achieving a more desirable one. Keep persevering until there isn't anything more to improve on.
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