In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, the main lesson that the reader learns is that hope is a privilege that few people are given and many more must fight for. In America, if you have money and you’re white, usually you are given hope and confidence. This leads to success which in turn leads to more hope. Not everyone has this though. Junior in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian sees and feels the effects of people lacking hope.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a book about Junior, an Indian kid who lives on a reservation. He makes a lot of jokes, but he has a depressing life. The reader soon finds out that Junior is going to go to a majority-White school miles away called Reardan. Junior must work through the racism at Reardan and the hatred of him on the Rez to find hope. The book is easy to read but has complex and heavy themes. The book has many cartoons that add humorous content as well as visual aids. If you like books with humor or want to learn more about Native Americans then this is the book for you.

In the beginning, Junior has no hope to achieve his dreams. His school has textbooks from when his mother was a child and everyone around him is poor and depressed. In the end, Junior works through his pain and sadness. He puts effort into school and basketball and it pays off. I think the lesson in the book is about how hope is one of the most important things you can have. When Junior left the Rez in search of hope, he gained valuable experience and had an opportunity to be something other than a sad alcoholic like the other people on the Rez.

During this book, I felt sorry for Junior. At Reardan, everyone saw him as a poor Indian kid who wasn’t worth talking to. On the Rez, people saw him as a traitor to Indians and they beat him up. In both parts of his life, he was treated like an underdog and people didn’t think he was worth much. By the end, I realized that Junior was better off than many people on the Rez because he believed in himself. The conflict in the book showed me how powerful willpower and confidence are. This book also taught me a lot about Native Americans and reservations.

I firmly believe that The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is an amazing book that covers important topics such as hope and poverty. It is also a funny page-turner with cartoons in most chapters. This book taught me so much about how poverty affects people and makes them lose hope. Junior is relatable to many kids because he goes through tough things like death and bullying but manages to stay resilient and have a positive outlook on things. If you’ve ever lacked hope or felt alone, this is the book for you.