Part Time Indian Reading Journal 2 Chapters 3-6

Guilty Pleasures

• We see that Rowdy loves old comics like Casper and Richie Rich, but is ashamed of it. An “amateur” is defined as “someone who loves or is fond of anything” What do you love or fond of? Is it a “guilty pleasure” like Rowdy’s love for kid’s comics?

For further reading related to “guilty pleasure” please see the following. Please respond

with your thoughts.

Further, Douglas Wilson once said “There is no such thing as a guilty pleasure.” Some

people, much like the author of the link above, believe that it’s perfectly okay for tough guys to love My Little Pony. As long as it’s not hurting someone else, who cares?

Engage with this idea.

“Old School”

• Arnold goes ballistic when he sees his mother’s name in his Geometry textbook, indicating the book is over 30 years old. Is it a big deal? Have you ever experienced anything like this in school? Chocolate cake in a computer? Respond. Or, also respond to the news story about Blake Shelton’s textbook.

• Mr. P admits to beating kids with the “ugly stick.” What are your thoughts on corporal punishment?  In the 90s, a story of an American teen facing caning in Singapore reopened the discussion of corporal punishment.  

Race and Culture

• What is the definition of racism? Is there any actions in the book that have been motivated by racism? Explain your reasoning.

• Mr. P Admits that it was partly his job to kill Indian culture. What do you think about kind of cultural assimilation? For further reading:

Indian Boarding Schools - History.com

Interesting Indian Teachers - JSTOR

Teachers

• Mr. P is a memorable teacher for Arnold. Mr. P isn’t necessarily a great teacher, but he wins Arnold’s respect for giving him good advice. Have you ever gotten good advice from a teacher? Have you ever had a teacher that was memorable like Mr. P?

The Rez

• We have been watching the documentary series 30 Days “Life on an Indian Reservation.” How has the documentary backed up what we have learned about rez life in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian? How is the documentary challenging what we have learned about life on the rez in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian?

Hope

• Respond to Arnold’s ideas about hope. “... I do know that hope for me is like some mythical creature.” Emily Dickinson wrote about hope.  Respond with a metaphor of your own. What is hope?

• We listened to the heavy metal song “Not My Master” in class. Connect the lyrics to the book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian.

Race… Again

• Yesterday we read about Arnold’s “Incident” in the chapter “How To Fight Monsters.” Recall a moment when you encountered an “incident.”

• Many students connected The X-Men with Arnold. Explain.

• And just for fun here’s a message of hope from the one and only, Stan Lee.