| Description |
Sherman Alexie is known as the contemporary voice for the modern American Indian because of his deep and wide popularity amongst many different ethnic and racial groups. His novels and short stories have become very popular in classrooms and libraries across the nation. By being the voice of a whole people in popular culture, he must open up new "undocumented understandings and perspectives" on being an American Indian, which is given to his readers in all of his literature, but particularly in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian (Bailey 3). He is trying to bridge the gap between different worlds and different peoples through the disruption of binaries and boundaries placed upon identity, and realizing the commonalities between a native and non-native experience growing up today. However, he does not do so without extensive criticism from those who study indigenous scholarship and literature, as well as other popular indigenous writers and peers. Despite the criticism from these people, I believe that Alexie's adolescent novel is what critics would call a crucial intervention in today's post-colonial world. It allows students to identify with a population they perhaps have never encountered, or identify finally with someone who knows their history and their story. It also teaches minority students how to understand themselves in the contemporary world as someone who is proud of their people, but wants to overcome the obstacles of systemic discrimination. The book itself is funny and entertaining enough to engage a wide range of readers and non-readers and that in itself is valuable to Language Arts teachers who worry about student participation. This book is an important addition to curriculum today, and if taught carefully, can help shape a more culturally competent society. |
