Absolutely Disgraceful
People may think that banning books is only something that happens in other countries, but in 2012 alone 464 attempts to ban books were made. Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie is the second most banned book in America. Its a novel about a teenage American-Indian who breaks the chain to join a white school and make himself a better life. Students are able to connect to the main character and the struggles he goes through on the story. Reading this book will help them deal with their everyday lives.
Many schools have decided to ban Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian from their school and not allow their students to read it for class. Last year Stockton school board in Missouri voted unanimously to ban the book from its school curriculum. Board members said that the main concern was the books language, that it has too much profanity to be of value. Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian has won plenty of awards but that didn’t even sway the vote.
The things that Alexie talks about are what teenagers are aware of. Shielding your teens from these kinds of things isn’t helping them. In “Why the best Kids’ Books are Written in Blood” Alexie states how he feels about the banning of his book. “Everything in the book is what every kid is dealing with on a daily basis, whether it’s masturbation or racism or sexism or the complications of being human”. As a teenager all of these thing touched on in the book were not new to me. Actually having a character in a book that is dealing with the same struggles as the reader can help them connect. As the character fights for himself in the story the reader can do the same. Junior, The main character of Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a very good example of this when he says “There are all types of addicts I guess. We all have pain. And we look for ways for that to go away” (Pg 94). This quote was important for me because I grew up knowing a lot of addicts and alcoholics. Having my loved ones fight these addictions isn’t easy to deal with and I was little relief when I read this in Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Reading this made me feel like I could really connect to the main character. Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian was one of the only books that I’ve ever read in a class that I’ve ever read and ever been able to really connect to.
Junior’s story is very relatable to most others teenagers lives. “Remembered when I used to be a human being. I remember when people used to think I was smart” (pg.76). Many teens have felt like they’re not good enough to other people, like they’re not even human. “I write to give them weapons, in the form of words and ideas, that will help them fight their own monsters” Reading book like this gives teens strength to fight the struggles in their own lives.
A lot of teens might be struggling with the same struggles as junior. Reading Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian might help them get along. “His father is drinking and throwing hard punches, so Rowdy and his mother are always walking around with bruises and bloody faces”(pg.18). Children who face Alcoholic parents or abusive parents can really connect to Rowdy’s story. Growing up under these circumstances can be really difficult, having a book that they can read that talks about these issues from a perspective similar to their own can be really beneficial. “Does she believe a dystopian novel will frighten a kid who already lives in hell?”
Students are able to connect to the main character and the struggles he goes through on the story. Reading this book will help them deal with their everyday lives. Banning books like Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Isn’t very beneficial because reading about Junior story can help teens live their own lives and fight their own problems. Reading this novel made my heart break over and over again, it was especially sad because I have friends that are dealing with the same issues as Junior, Even I can relate to his story.
Many schools have decided to ban Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian from their school and not allow their students to read it for class. Last year Stockton school board in Missouri voted unanimously to ban the book from its school curriculum. Board members said that the main concern was the books language, that it has too much profanity to be of value. Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian has won plenty of awards but that didn’t even sway the vote.
The things that Alexie talks about are what teenagers are aware of. Shielding your teens from these kinds of things isn’t helping them. In “Why the best Kids’ Books are Written in Blood” Alexie states how he feels about the banning of his book. “Everything in the book is what every kid is dealing with on a daily basis, whether it’s masturbation or racism or sexism or the complications of being human”. As a teenager all of these thing touched on in the book were not new to me. Actually having a character in a book that is dealing with the same struggles as the reader can help them connect. As the character fights for himself in the story the reader can do the same. Junior, The main character of Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a very good example of this when he says “There are all types of addicts I guess. We all have pain. And we look for ways for that to go away” (Pg 94). This quote was important for me because I grew up knowing a lot of addicts and alcoholics. Having my loved ones fight these addictions isn’t easy to deal with and I was little relief when I read this in Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Reading this made me feel like I could really connect to the main character. Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian was one of the only books that I’ve ever read in a class that I’ve ever read and ever been able to really connect to.
Junior’s story is very relatable to most others teenagers lives. “Remembered when I used to be a human being. I remember when people used to think I was smart” (pg.76). Many teens have felt like they’re not good enough to other people, like they’re not even human. “I write to give them weapons, in the form of words and ideas, that will help them fight their own monsters” Reading book like this gives teens strength to fight the struggles in their own lives.
A lot of teens might be struggling with the same struggles as junior. Reading Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian might help them get along. “His father is drinking and throwing hard punches, so Rowdy and his mother are always walking around with bruises and bloody faces”(pg.18). Children who face Alcoholic parents or abusive parents can really connect to Rowdy’s story. Growing up under these circumstances can be really difficult, having a book that they can read that talks about these issues from a perspective similar to their own can be really beneficial. “Does she believe a dystopian novel will frighten a kid who already lives in hell?”
Students are able to connect to the main character and the struggles he goes through on the story. Reading this book will help them deal with their everyday lives. Banning books like Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Isn’t very beneficial because reading about Junior story can help teens live their own lives and fight their own problems. Reading this novel made my heart break over and over again, it was especially sad because I have friends that are dealing with the same issues as Junior, Even I can relate to his story.