In my view, intolerance is the unfair act of being treated unjustly by others. This closed-minded action is one that is unfortunately an increasing problem in today’s society for many different reasons. Intolerance is the greatest issue we face regarding discrimination and racism among others, increasing the tension and conflict between people. One example of Junior, also known as Arnold, experiencing intolerance is when he is made fun of by his peers on his reservation in Wellpinit for having a lisp and eye abnormalities. Junior cannot help that he was born with these physical defects and has no control over the fact that he has to live with them. In Reardan, Junior is picked on the antagonist, Roger that creates even more of a struggle for the “part-time Indian”. I believe that the most damaging forms of intolerance for Junior are in Reardan for multiple reasons. For example, when attending school in Reardan, Junior explains the following, “…People had either ignored me or called me names or pushed me. But they stopped after my grandmother died,” (Alexie 159). This part of the story made me wonder, why would it take the death of someone to show that discrimination is such a socially inappropriate gesture to bring upon another person? Wellpinit holds the largest amount of trouble for Junior because his peers discriminate against him racially and physically which are both serious issues. Another example of intolerance for Junior is when he tells his parents that he wants to switch schools, “’Come on, I said. ‘Who has the most hope?’ ‘White people," my parents said at the same time.’” (Alexie 45). This shows clear discrimination between the two races, and an unfortunate viewpoint in the eyes of Junior’s parents. It is almost as if Junior already knows the answer to his question, but is begging for parental reassurance to support his predispositions about the difference between white people and Indian people. A final example of intolerance in this story is when Junior is explaining the differences between Wellpinit kids and Reardan kids, “I was the only kid, white or Indian, who knew that Charles Dickens wrote A Tale of Two Cities. And let me tell you, we Indians were the worst of times and those Reardan kids were the best of times,” (Alexie 56). Although Junior obviously feels out of place in Reardan due to racial differences, he masks that fact by introducing the idea that Wellpinit kids still had a more rough life than Rearden kids regardless. Junior wants us as the audience to know that the intolerance he experienced as an Indian makes him want to break away from his roots even more.
3. I believe The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is an inappropriate book for kids at a certain age. Middle school aged kids and above would be an acceptable age to read this text because of the vulgarity, violence, and troubling topics it entails. I think it good for kids to be exposed to some wrong in the world while they are still young, but only to...
