The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

“The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie is a coming-of-age story about a fourteen-year-old Spokane-Coeur d'Alene Indian boy named Arnold Spirit, who leaves his poverty-stricken Spokane Indian reservation for an all-white school in the nearby town of Reardan. Arnold's poverty-stricken home life and abusive father shape the course of Arnold's life as he leaves the reservation to pursue a better education.

“The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” takes place in Wellpinit, Washington and follows the life of Arnold Spirit, a fourteen-year-old Spokane-Coeur d'Alene Indian. Arnold's life is full of struggles; his family is poor and they lack basic needs such as food and a car. His mother works odd jobs to keep the family going and Arnold must live with his alcoholic and abusive father.

In an effort to pursue a better education, Arnold decides to leave his reservation school and attend the all-white school in Reardan. He finds himself an outcast at the new school, being the only foreigner in the entire school campus. Despite being ridiculed and looked down on for being an Indian, Arnold continues to pursue his studies and develops a friendship with a white classmate, Rowdy. He also begins to work on his basketball skills, planning to make it to the state championship.

In the midst of all this, Arnold discovers that anybody can overcome the odds and build a better life for themselves despite their circumstances. He has to persuade his parents to let him go to a higher quality school and convince his new classmates that he’s not a joke.

When he arrives at Reardan High School, Arnold meets the most popular girl in school, Penelope, who he begins to have a crush on. He also meets one of his basketball teammates, Eugene, a poor white boy who Arnold can relates to since they've both grown up living in poverty. Despite the cultural differences, Arnold and Eugene share a close bond based on their shared experience of unprivileged backgrounds.

Ultimately, Arnold grows as a person and learns to be strong in the face of adversity. He puts in the hard work to catch up on studies at his new school, and his basketball skills lead him to become one of the top players on the team. With the support of his white friends, his family, and his Indian classmates, Arnold eventually makes it to the state basketball championship. Although he loses, he realizes the importance of understanding the