Alexie Essay

Our lives are full of unexpected surprises we do not tend to plan. We can not predict our future but only wonder about it. That is the beauty of life! We wake up not knowing what the day will bring. Life may not come easy, because of the challenges it brings. Facing these challenges with courage and providing them with hope is one way to overcome them. In order to not sink in the sea with struggles pulling us down, we need to learn how to swim with our hopes and dreams helping us to rise above it. This is the method Junior Spirit uses in the book “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Alexie Sherman. Learning how not to drown by opening himself up to the world with different perspectives. Thinking more optimistic about one’s future, as life had so much to offer. Junior was motivated to go beyond his expectations.

Junior decided to take a difference in his life when he realizes what his destiny can end up to be. He was raised in an environment filled with  lust and full of fear. He grew up at a Spokane Indian Reservation, where people had already lost their hopes and confidence towards life. The Rez accepted what their future was “supposed to be” as the younger generation were expected to follow their parents footsteps. ( Parents from the Rez were not giving good examples for their children. ) “The only thing you kids are being thought is how to give up” (42). Not Junior, Junior did not want to be like the rest of the people from the Rez; constantly wasting their money on boosts and going to casinos everyday. He created a dream for himself. Junior took the risk to do something different. His first step of action is getting a better education. He left his high school in the Reservation to attended an all-white school. “I want to go to Reardan,” I said again. I couldn't believe I was saying it” (46). Once he took that risk, his life changed dramatically. People from the Rez saw him as a traitor, someone who went against them. Junior was also obligated to “fit in” his new school. The difficulties Junior faced from moving to a new school gained him courage and self control . No matter what people said or thought about him, he trusted himself from his own decisions and further choices with life.

Junior’s journey to move from an all-white school symbolizes the “tree” scene. The bottom of this tree represented the struggles and process of achieving his dreams. This scene took place when Junior and his best friend Rowdy were only 10 years old. When Junior decided to switch schools, Rowdy distant himself away from him. “My heart broke into fourteen pieces, one for each year that Rowdy and I had been best friends” (54). This scene of climbing the tree was his way of reconnecting for his desperate loneliness from Rowdy. Junior remembers the time he went to Turtle Lake with Rowdy to climb a 150 ft tall tree ( the tallest tree in the Reservation ). “Other days, yeah, I’m terrified of falling [...] But I wasn't scared of gravity that day. Heck, gravity didn't even exist” (220). This memory of climbing the tree signifies his decision to go to an all-white school. He was timid and anxious to make a big transition. His courage to defeat his fear  lead him to be where he was destined to be. Being unaware of the outcome of the climb, was like being introduced to a frontier outside the Reservation. It involved fear. Without  fear he would not have built the strength to believe in himself.

Starting to climb this tree, Junior starts to forget about his fear. “The branches would not break. Rowdy and I climbed and climb and climb” (226). Once he put the distractions aside, Junior was eager to reached the top. He was fighting for his life. Despite the hardships he went through, he only got stronger and stronger. He wanted to climb this tree they way he wanted to achieve his goals. “I was scared, sure terrified… but it was also fun, you know?” (226). The climbing of this tree represented his hope for his own future. He was not going to fail, he saw too many people fail before him. He wanted to prove people from the Reservation, including Rowdy, wrong. There can be a better life for them outside the Reservation. Junior wanted to succeed, no matter how long it took him. Climbing the tree showed his determination and strong will. He was not going to give up without trying. Reaching for the top of tree symbolizes the meaning of life, finding the value of it.

Junior and Rowdy saw a different vision on top of the tree. In their own eyes, they have never seen the Reservation so beautiful. They were so admired by it. “Its pretty.” Rowdy said. “I've never seen anything so pretty” (226). The view of the Reservation, made them feel serenity of their home. They have appreciated the Reservation by its true beauty. “And our entire world, at that moment, was green and golden and perfect” (226.) Being on top represented his accomplishments and determination. Getting on top was beautiful but not easy. Just like the challenges Junior faces throughout his life. He has experienced so many unexpected deaths of his loved ones: his grandma, his dad’s best friend, and his only sister. After all he had been through, Junior kept pushing forward. His moments in life suddenly had a purpose. He knew if he did not fight to get to the top, he would not been able to achieve his dreams.

In conclusion, Junior has made big changes in his life. He gave life a meaning. Being able to become something more, he was encourage to chase after his dreams. He has grown to accept himself and disregard anyone else’s opinions. Learning how to cope with the struggles in his  life, was where he found his strength. His passions for drawing and basketball was what kept him grounded. Without expanding and exploring the new world, he would have been locked in his identity. Better things in his life has yet to come for his hard work and positive attitude towards life. Junior will not drown because he has set high hopes and dreams for himself.