Banned Books
Enjoy these essays written by students in Ms. DeLude's class in response to the experience of reading banned books.
"...struggles with acceptance and cultural identity are much bigger than just being labeled or associated with an ideology or group."
The Absolutely (Vital) True Story of a Part-time Indian
By: Lily Mikita
The Absolutely True Story of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie is the epitome of a Bildungsroman tale, important for all ages, adolescents especially. The book faces the obstacles of budding sexuality, substance abuse, and cultural identity with lighthearted but heartbreaking voice. While some cautionary parents might say that the subject matter, including vulgar language and sexual content, is inappropriate for adolescents to read, The Absolutely True Story of a Part-time Indian is a must-read for teenagers because of the difficult topics it addresses with cultural identity.
When Jr gets to Reardan High School, where he’s transferred, he is ostracized by both his tribe and peers. He is caught in limbo between the white world and the Native American world because of their reaction to him breaking the status quo. He soon realizes that his new school was the “opposite of the rez. It was the opposite of my family. It was the opposite of me. I didn’t deserve to be there. I knew it; all those kids knew it. Indians don’t deserve sh*t”(Alexie, 56). Jr ’s struggle to fit in with a certain group is one that everyone can understand. The yearning to be a part of something is a feeling that all teenagers face, especially when they are part of a tribe, religion or ethnic group. It is a cross everyone has to bear when growing into adulthood. The author utilizes Jr’s situation to prove that struggles with acceptance and cultural identity are much bigger than just being labeled or associated with an ideology or group.
This book, while loved by many, is not as popular among some people because of the subject matter and phraseology. According to the Chicago Tribune, parents of students have tried to take it out of the curriculum because of vulgar language and lack of positive role models. While the book is more mature than other books taught in schools, using profane language is just a fact of how kids talk in the twenty-first century (Fuller, Chicago Tribune). The argument that this novel does not have good role models for kids is false. While Jr is a flawed character, he still is a positive role model because of the initiative he takes to make something of himself and get out of a bad situation. To further this, people have also criticized schools for teaching this book because of the “sexual innuendoes” that it features (Gomez, Banned Books Week). Through this book, children learn that their feelings and urges are completely normal. By seeing it in a character, fictitious or not, gives them a way to process the transition into adulthood in a very organic manner.
The fact that The Absolutely True Story of a Part-time Indian could be taken off the shelves of libraries and deemed inappropriate is completely self-defeating and unjustified because of the value that it holds for teaching and self-discovery. The important tale is accessible to all because of its universal themes of acceptance and belonging.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian:
Why It’s Important
by Sebastian Hunt
“Banning books gives us silence when we need speech. It closes our ears when we need to listen. It makes us blind when we need sight.” ― Stephen Chbosky
Even in today’s world, where information can be accessed in seconds, Native American history and culture still finds itself mostly forgotten. It’s a true shame - and that’s why works like Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian need to remain on shelves. For those unfamiliar, Part-Time Indian follows the adventures of a young Native American boy named Junior as he leaves his tribe to pursue a better life. Critics of the novel cite sexually-charged sequences and profanity as reasons to keep it banned - but I contest that the reason is more sinister than that. In reality, I believe that the reason that this novel has faced such heat is that it’s one of the few mainstream books that truly sheds light on how awfully, we as a society, treat Native Americans. In addition to being mainstream, Part-Time Indian includes a character that kids of today can relate to, which would likely increase their sensitivity to the issue. The nationwide neutering of the unfairness that Native Americans faced (and still face) is a dark spot on America’s reputation, so obviously a book that highlights it so profoundly will be suppressed. Junior sums up the mental toll that the unfairness takes perfectly, stating that he feels “lonely and sad and isolated and terrified” as a Native American (Alexie, 79). The novel also highlights more everyday prejudice Natives face, as Junior is called things like “Tonto” on occasion (Alexie, 53). Novels like Part-Time Indian are more important than ever today - and that’s why it needs to remain on shelves, regardless of inappropriate language or explicit scenes. It’s a small price to pay when it’s giving a long-forgotten people the recognition they so sorely deserve.