pre-reading questions

• Who are the Spokane Indians?

The Spokane Indians are a group of Native Americans.

 

• Where are they located?

The Spokane Indians live at the Spokane Indian Reservation in eastern Washington centered in Wellpinit.

 

• What is their history?

The Spokane Indians have lived for thousand years near the river Spokane. Their first contact with white people was in 1805 after which their living area decreased and a lot of Spokane Indians died of deseases that the white people brought, like Smallpox.

 

• What are their customs and traditions?

The Powwow once a year.

 

• Why were reservations set up in America?

Because the non-Native Americans didn't like the idea of living next to people who were diffrent than them.

 

• What are some of the issues and problems facing Native Americans?

Native Americans have a very low immune system, so they are affected very quick by deseases.

 

• How big is the reservation? How many people live there?

the reservation is 615 square kilometers. There are around 2700 people living in the Spokane Reservation.

 

• What do Americans celebrate at Thanksgiving?

The treaty between the Native Americans and the European Americans.

 

• What is the Bureau of Indian Affairs?

The BIA is responsible for all the reservations and living areas of Natives in The U.S.A.

 

• What is the Spokane Powwow?

A fest which is held once a year. 

Questions

The Black-eye-of-the-month club

1. Why is Junior a member of 'the Black-Eye-of-the-Month Club'?
2. Why does Junior draw cartoons? What do the first two cartoons depict? What does this tell us about Junior?
3. Describe the style of writing in the first chapter?

Why Chicken means so much to me

1. What does Junior identify as the worst thing about being poor?
2. 'And hey, in a weird way, being hungry makes food taste better.' (page 8) What does this statement show us about Junior?
3. What happens to Oscar? What does this illustrate to the reader?
4. How is poverty a cycle for Junior's family?
5. Use five adjectives to describe Junior's personality so far.

Revenge is my middle name

1. Describe Rowdy and Junior's relationship. What do they do for each other?
2. What is the Spokane powwow?
3. What does Rowdy do to the Andruss brothers? Why? What does this demonstrate about his friendship with Junior?

Because geometry is not a country somewhere near france

1. Describe Mr. P.
2. Why is Junior so cynical about white teachers?
3. What angers Junior about his geometry book?

hope against hope

1. Why does Junior throw his geometry book? What does this signify?
2. Why does Mr. P say the following? 'Every white person on this rev should get smashed in the face. But, let me tell you this. All the Indians should get smashed in the face too.'

Go means go

1. How do Junior's parents react to his desicion to change schools? What does this show about them?

rowdy sings the blues

1. How are sporting results used to compare the two schools? Why is it significant that Rowdy performed well at most competitions?
2. How does Rowdy react to Junior's desicion to move schools? Why does he react in this way?
3. How does Rowdy disguise his pain?

how to fight monsters

1. Why is Junior deemed to have betrayed his tribe?
2. Describe the cartoon on page 57. What does this symbolise about Junior's insecurities?
3. How does the confusion over Junior's names demonstrate his change in culture?
4. How do the students react to Junior in Reardan?
5. How could Junior have reacted to being called names?
6. How does the fight illustrate the differences in social codes?
7. 'Maybe I was telling the world I was no longer a moving target.' How is this a significant moment for Junior?

Grandmother gives me some advice

1. 'I realized how much of my self-worth, my sense of safety, was based on Rowdy's fists.' How does Junior learn to stand up for himself?
2. What is Junior's grandmother's advice?

Tears of a clown

1. What does Junior's story about Dawn illustrate to the reader?

Halloween

1. How does Junior try to establish a connection with Penelope?
2. How does trick or treating remind Junior of Rowdy?

Slouching towards thanksgiving

1. How does the author illustrate Junior's loneliness?
2. What is significant about Junior speaking up in class?
3. How does Mr Doge reply and how does this make Junior feel?
4. Examine the cartoon of Junior's journey to school on page 88. Contrast this to how you normally get to school. How many kilometers is twenty-two miles?
5. What does Mary do? Why?
6. How does Junior become friends with Gordy? What do they have in common?

My sister sends me an email

1. Summarise Mary's email in three bullet points.

Thanksgiving

1. Why does Junior think of Rowdy at Thanksgiving time?
2. Describe the cartoon Junior draws. Why is Rowdy's respect still so important to Junior?
3. How does Rowdy's father regard the cartoon? Is this type of reaction typical in today's society? How could the fear of being considered 'gay' limit male interactions?

Hunger pains

1. How does Penelope and Junior’s friendship develop?
2. How are Penelope and Junior using each other?
3. What advice does Junior give Penelope? Is it good advice?

Rowdy gives me advice about love

1. Why does Junior refer to how ‘white’ Penelope is? What is the effect of this?
2. ‘White girls are privileged. They’re damsels in distress.’ (page 116) What does this mean?

Dance, dance, dance

1. Why is the novel called The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian?
2. Examine the cartoon on page 120. analyse each of the pictures. Why do you think Alexie presents the information in this way?
3. How do Penelope and Roger react to Junior’s admission that he is poor?
4. What does Junior learn by the end of the chapter?

Don't trust your computer

1. What does Junior email Rowdy and how does he reply? Why does this make Junior laugh?
2. Why do the people at home call Junior an ‘apple’?
3. What does Gordy say about the role of the tribe? How is this applicable to Junior?

My sister sends me a letter

1. What does Junior think of Mary’s ‘gorgeous new place’?

Reindeer games

1. Why does Junior try out for the basketball team?
2. What happens at try-outs? Why does Junior get in?
3. Why does Junior say ‘it was like something out of Shakespeare’ (page 142) when he discovers their first game is against Wellpinit?
4. What happens when Junior enters the gym? How does he react? Why?
5. What happens during the basketball game? Write a short news report.

And a partridge in a pear tree

1. Describe Junior's Christmas.

red versus white

1. What good things about his culture does Junior realise?
2. Why does Junior describe his grandmother as tolerant?

wake

1. ‘We all have to find our own way to say good-bye.’ (page 161) How does Junior do this?
2. Who is Billionaire Ted and what is his story?
3. 'We lived and died together.' (page 166) What does this show about Junior's community?

valentine heart

1. How does Junior cope with his grief?
2. What do Junior’s cartoons (pages 170 and 171) reveal about his emotions?
3. What happens in Mrs Jeremy’s class? Why is this so significant to Junior?

in like a lion

1. How does Junior explain his improvement in basketball?
2. What does the cartoon on page 182 demonstrate about his feelings?
3. How does Sherman Alexie build tension towards the game?
4. What is the Reardan game plan? Is this successful?
5. How does Coach give his team confidence?
6. What happens during the game? Why does Junior cry when the game is finished? What does he realise?

rowdy and i have a long and serious discussion about basketball

1. Why is the chapter title humorous?

Because russian guys are not always geniuses

1. How does Mary die?
2. How does Junior react to Mary’s death? Why does he react in this way?
3. Why does Junior feel responsible in some way for Mary’s death?
4. How do the students at Reardan show they care?

my final freshman year report card

1. Describe Junior's report card.

remembering

1. What realisations does Junior arrive at?
2. What tribes does Junior belong to? How does this help him feel better?

Talking about turtles

1. Why do Junior and Rowdy climb the tree? What does this symbolise?
2. How does Rowdy compare Junior to a nomad?
3. ‘We didn’t keep score.’ (page 230) What does the final line signify?
4. Do you think Rowdy and Junior will remain friends? Explain.

Answers

The black-eye-of-the-month club

1. They call him a retard and he gets beaten up at least once a month. That is why he has a black eye every month.

2. Junior draws cartoons because words are too unpredictable, too limited and everyone can understand it. The first cartoon depicts Junior and his characteristics. The second cartoon depicts Junior and his hobbies. This tells us what he thinks he is like and what he likes to do.

3. In the first chapter a diary (informal) style writing is used, with short and easy sentences.

Why chicken means so much to me

1. Junior identifies not having money to go to the vet with hill ill dog Oscar as the worst thing about being poor. In contrast to others who think being hungry is the worst thing about being poor.
2. This statement shows us that he is optimistic and that he finds humour and positivity in his situation.

3. Oscar got really sick but there was not enough money to go to the vet, so Junior’s father shot him. This illustrates to the reader how poor the family is.

4. Poverty is a cycle in Junior's family because everyone in his family is poor and they all came from poor people, who came from poor people all the way back to Adam and Eve.

5. Optimistic, humorous, insecure, respectful, reflective.

Revenge is my middle name

1. They are best friends. What they do for each other is Rowdy protects Junior and Junior draws Rowdy.

2. The Spokane Powwow is a celebration of the Indian heritage. There is a lot of dancing, eating and gaming.
3. What Rowdy does to the Andruss brothers is shaving off their eyebrows and he cuts off their braids, probably the worst thing that can be done to an Indian man. He does this because Junior was beaten up by the Andruss brothers. What this demonstrates is that they really do everything for each other.

Because geometry is not a country somewhere near france

1. Mr P is a sleepy, skinny, old geometry teacher who sometimes shows up for class wearing pyjamas.

2. Junior is so cynical about them because he thinks they are a bit weird, some even feed them birdseed.He calls them ‘liberal, white, vegetarian do-gooders and conservative, white missionary saviours’.

3. What Junior angers about his geometry book is the fact that his geometry book was also used by his mom, which means it is 30 years old. He is also angry that the same book is still used. He thinks that it is absolutely the saddest thing in the world.

Hope against hope

1. Junior angrily throws his geometry book because he is furious. When he realized how old the book was he felt like all his hopes and dreams 'floated up in a mushroom cloud'. 

2. Mr P says the following because every white person should get smashed in the face for hurting Indian kids. And all Indians should get smashed in the face for giving up on themselves.

3. Mr P's advice to Junior is to leave the reservation and to not give up. He says to Junior ‘they’re going to kill you. I’m going to kill you. We’re all going to kill you. You can’t fight us forever.’ He gives him this advice because he thinks Junior is the one with the most hope.

Go means go

1. Junior's parents react to his decision to change schools surprised but they support him because they understand what motivates him to leave. But they also warn him for a negative response of the community. This shows about them that they want a better life for their son because they know staying on the reservation is hopeless. 

Rowdy sings the blues

1. Sporting results are used to compare the two schools and decide who is the better school. It is significant that Rowdy performs well at most competitions because he is the only one from his school that is as good as many of the other schools.
2. Rowdy reacts angrily to Junior's decision to move schools and says Junior is joking. Than when Junior softly touches Rowdy's shoulder Rowdy punches him in the face. Rowdy reacts in this way because he doesn't like the fact that his best friend is leaving the school on the reservation and goes to the opponent.
3. Rowdy disguises his pain by punching Junior and calling him a 'retard fag'. 

How to fight monsters

1. Junior is deemed to have betrayed his tribe because he goes to a school off the reservation. The reservation school also has a rivalry with that school.

2. The cartoon describes the difference between a normal white and Indian boy. The cartoon symbolizes Junior’s insecurities because he is insecure about his appearance, mostly with his physique and clothing.

3. The confusion over Junior's names demonstrates his change his culture because on the reservation he is called Junior and his name is very common. And in the white community he adopts the name Arnold because Junior isn’t a common name there.

4. The students at Reardan react to Junior by staring at him, calling him names and telling racist jokes.
5. Junior could have react to being called names by saying that it isn't nice to call someone names instead of punching.
6. The fight illustrates the differences in social codes because on the reservation there are rules about how and when to fight while in Reardan they don't fight physically at all. Junior is really confused about this.
7. This is a significant moment for Junior because he is finally telling the world that he will fight back, that he won't be a victim of others and that he isn't hopeless anymore.

Grandmother gives me some advice

1. Junior learns to stand up for himself when Roger told him a racist joke and therefore he punched Roger.
2. Junior's grandmother's advice is that he should have walked away. Then she says he should have kicked Roger in his balls. The last thing she says is that it was good to have punched the alpha dog.

tears of a clown

1. Junior's story about Dawn illustrates to the reader that he is attracted to girls out of his reach. That he is very sensitive and emotional. And that his secrets are safe with Rowdy.

Halloween

1. Junior tries to establish a connection with Penelope by remarking that they both look like homeless people. And he also decides to collect money for the homeless during Halloween.

2. Trick and treating reminds Junior of Rowdy because he wouldn't have been jumped because Rowdy would have protected him. An he mentioned that he didn't hope that one of the attackers was Rowdy himself.

slouching towards thanksgiving

1. The author illustrates Junior's loneliness by letting him play catch with himself and getting a big zit on the end of his nose. Junior also says that it's the lonliest time of his life because the white kids at Reardan don't talk withhim, they don't even look at him.
2. What is significant about Junior speaking up in class is that he normally is completely quiet.
3. Mr Dodge replied by thanking Gordy for the answer Junior gave. This makes Junior feel bad. Junior tries to remember the last time he felt like a human being.
4. We normally get to school by bike and only if it rains and our parents are able to bring us to school we go by car. We have never walked to school and definitely not because we had no money for gasoline. Twenty-two miles is about 35.4 kilometres.
5. Mary gets married to a Flathead Indian who likes to gamble. She does this because she likes men who aren't afraid to gamble everything.
6. Junior becomes friends with Gordy because of he is inspirated by Mary's courage. First Gordy thinks Junior wants a relationship with him but Junior reassures him that he just wants to be friends. What they have in common is that they talk about books and like to study together. 

My sister sends me an email

1. • Mary is looking for a job as a waitress
   • Mary writes that the reservation is big
   • Mary writes about their honemoon in a hotel where they ordered flatbread that reminded her of her grandmother

Thanksgiving

1. Junior thinks of Rowdy at Thanksgiving time because Rowdy used to be at their house during Thanksgiving. And they used to do a pumpkin pie eating contest every year.
2. The cartoon shows Junior and Rowdy as superheroes. Rowdy's respect is still so important to Junior because he misses him and the things they used to do together.
3. Rowdy's father regards to the cartoon by saying it's kind of gay. This type of reaction is typical in some countries in Africa but in the Western world this isn't a typical reaction. The fear of being considered gay limits male interactions because they can't show their emotions and as Junior is an emotional guy he would be limited.

Hunger pains

1. Penelope and Junior's relationship develops when Junior leaves class to go to the bathroom and hears someone throwing up. He knocks on the door and it’s Penelope. He thinks she is Anorexic but she corrects him and tells him she is Bulimic.
2. Junior uses Penelope with becoming more popular. Penelope uses Junior with making her father angry and with not looking perfect.
3. Junior gives Penelope the advice to not give up and that she will have to eat otherwise she won’t be able to travel the world and become an architect. This is a good advice although it can sometimes be hard despite all the dreams you have.

Rowdy gives me advice about love

1. Junior refers to how 'white' Penelope is to emphasise the racial difference between them. The effect of this that he feels lower than Penelope only because she is white.
2. This means that white girls are better than other girls. White girls have more money, more advantages and more opportunities,

DAnce, dance, dance

1. The novel is called 'The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian' because Junior says, ‘I was half Indian in one place and half white in the other. It was like being Indian was my job, but it was only a part-time job.’
2. Each of the cartoons show what it is like to be poor. We think Alexie presents the information in this way because Junior likes to draw, he says it’s easy to understand and cartoon often say more than words.
3. Penelope and Roger react with compassion to Junior's admission that he is poor. Penelope gives him a kiss and Roger lends him money. 
4. What Junior learns by the end of the chapter is that 'If you let people into your life a little bit, they can be pretty damn amazing.’

Don't trust your computer

1. Junior emails him a photo of himself with a smiling face. Rowdy replies with a photo of his bare butt.This makes Junior laugh because Rowdy is ‘crazy-funny-disgusting’ and because the kids at Reardan only worry about their futures.
2. People at home call Junior an apple because he is an Indian (red) on the outside but he acts like a white kid (white).
3. What Gordy says about the tribe is that if you don’t do what the tribe wants you to do than they will toss you out of the tribe. This is applicable to Junior because everyone on the reservation ignores him or isn’t nice to him.

My sister sends me a letter

1. Junior thinks that Mary's 'gorgeous new place' looks like a TV dinner tray.

Reindeer games 

1. Junior tries out because his father told him that you have to dream big to get big.
2. What happens at the try-outs is that Junior has to do a one-on-one game against Roger. Junior runs one hundred laps and does every drill without complaining and he makes a sweet jump shot. Junior gets in because he is perseverant and a good shooter.
3. Junior says‘it was like something out of Shakespeare’  when he discovers the first game is against Wellpinit because it feels wrong for him because he has to play against his former teammates, who still see him as traitor.
4. When Junior enters the gym everybody becomes quiet and turn their back to him except for Rowdy. Junior is mad about this but than starts to laugh. Junior does this because if they would be organized like this when he went to Wellpinit, he would have more reasons to stay.
5. During the basketball game Junior runs on to the court someone throws a quarter against his forehead. His forehead bleeds and the wound needs three stitches. When he returns Rowdy smashes his elbow against his head. This gives him a concussion and he needs to go to the hospital. At night the Coach visits him in the hospital and they talk all night long.  

And a partridge in a pear tree

1. Junior’s dad leaves on Christmas Eve and comes back January 2nd. He has a hangover but saved a $5 bill for him. Junior says that it was a beautiful and ugly thing. With this he meant that it isn’t nice to get $5 but that it’s nice to know that his father didn’t spend it on alcohol.

Red versus white

1. The good things about his culture Junior realises are that Indians tolerate differences between individuals. Indians also know their family better than for example the fathers in Reardan know their children.
2. Junior describes his Grandmother as tolerant because she always approached every new person and situation the exact same way. She also comes from a culture that values differences between individuals.

Wake

1. Junior does this when Ted’s story makes everybody laugh. Junior says it was the most glorious noise he had ever heard.
2. Billionaire Ted is a rich, white man who collects Indian art. Once he had bought an Indian powwow dance outfit but he felt bad about it because it was stolen. He did some research and thought it belonged to Junior’s grandmother. When Junior’s mother sees the outfit she says it isn’t her mother’s outfit.
3. This shows that Junior's community is really connected. There are about 2000 Indians on Grandmother’s funeral.

Valentine heart

1. Junior copes with his grief by taking a long time off school, making lists of things that bring him joy and by drawing what makes him angry.
2. Junior's cartoon reveal his emotions, he is angry, feels overwhelmed but he still has humour.
3. In Mrs. Jeremy's class she criticizes Junior for not being on school all the time. All the students drop their book and walk out the class room. This is significant for Junior because he is supported by white kids.

In like a lion

1. Junior explains his improvements because of the expectations of the Coach and other players who wanted him to be good.
2. The cartoon explains about his feelings that in Wellpinit he is a devil, he is booed by Indians and he questions who he really is. And in 

   Reardan he is an angel, he is cheered by the fans and again he questions who he really is.

3. Sherman Alexie builds tension towards the end of the game by saying that the two teams are first and second in the competition. Rowdy scores 25 points / game and Junior 12 points / game. Reardan plays a home game.
4. The Reardan game plan is that Junior has to guard Rowdy to make sure Rowdy doesn’t score as much as he normally does. This is successful because Rowdy only gets to score four points.
5. The Coach gives his team confidence by telling them that they aren’t as skilful as Wellpinit but that they have a bigger heart.
6. Reardan wins the match. Runior starts crying at the end of the game because he feels sorry for beating Wellpinit when he realises that all those kids have major problems like alcohol and poverty.

Rowdy and i have a long and serious  discussion about basketball

1. The title of the chapter is humorous because they do have a kind of discussion but it’s short, not serious and it’s not about basketball.

Because russian guys are not always geniuses

1. Mary dies at a party of her and her husband. They fell asleep drunk, a fire developed and they died.
2. Junior reacts to Mary's death by going out of the school and waiting for his father. When his father finally arrives, he is completely freaked out, worrying that his father got into an accident and died on the way to pick him up. He laughs and then falls asleep, wakes up and laughs again.
3. Junior feels responsible for Mary's death because he beliefs that she left the rez because he left the rez.
4. The students at Reardan show that they care because they sympathetic to him for his losses. And when Mrs. Jeremy makes a comment they drop their books and walk out of the classroom.

My final freshman year report card

1. He has an A for English, a B+ for Geology, an A for Geometry, an A- for History, an A for P.E., an A for Computer Programming and a B- for Let’s-Make-Bird houses woody shop.

Remembering

1. Junior realises that he will love Mary for ever. He cries because he realises that he is sorry for all the Indians that are slowly killing themselves, for leaving the rez and for knowing that he will never be drunk and kill himself. He also realises that he isn’t the only lonely person in the world.  
2. Junior belongs to the Spokane Indians, American immigrants, basketball players, bookworms, cartoonists, chronic masturbators, teenage boys, small-town kids, Pacific Northwesterners, tortilla chips-and-salsa lovers, poverty, funeral-goers, beloved sons, and boys who really missed their best friends. This helps him feel better because he realises that he does belong to some tribe.

Talking about turtles