Junior in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Ralph Ellison once wrote in his book, Invisible Man, “When I discover who I am, I’ll be free.” In a world where individuals judge one another, people often try to live up to their stereotypes and never discover who they truly are. Sherman Alexie, in his novel, The Absolutely True Diarv ofa Part-Time Indian, encompasses the ideas and virtues of being one’s true self within the main character, Arnold SpiritJunior. Each ofJunior’s actions in his memory of climbing the skyscraper tree mirrors an action taken in his journey through freshman year at Reardan, revealing his perspective of his friendship with Rowdy, his environment, and the challenges he faces.

The interactions between Junior and Rowdy during the tree climb represent their friendship throughout freshman year. Junior had always “loved making [Rowdy] laugh.” Before climbing the tree, the two banter about, teasing each other mercilessly.

They were best friends, Rowdy protected Junior, and Junior was the “only one who knew how to make him laugh.

” Their relationship was unique, however. Rowdy was the dominant one, and he usually led Junior along. As Rowdy suggests climbing the tree, Junior at first is reluctant to, but he understands that the matter “wasn’t really open to debate.” Rowdy’s word was law, Junior gets ready to climb the tree after Rowdy, but Rowdy tells him, “You first.“ By letting Junior precede him, Rowdy encourages Junior to be courageous and reach far beyond his limits. Years later, Junior manages to muster the same courage to transfer to Reardan.

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However, when Junior tells Rowdy that he is leaving the reservation to attend Reardan, Rowdy disowns him for fear of losing his best friend. He tries to mask his pain by insulting Junior and beating him up, InJunior’s memory, at the peak of the tree, the two “clung tightly to the tree as it swung in the breeze.”

The tree was unstable, much likeJunior’s and Rowdy’s friendship during the school year, but they both clung to it, held on to it, and never let it go. Junior, over the course of the year, tries to reconnect with Rowdy by writing him emails and drawing him a picture, Rowdy responds each time by insulting Junior, but it is clear that he indeed misses Junior but is just too stubborn to show any weakness. In the end, though, Rowdy forgives Junior. He accepts Junior‘s choice to leave the reservation and tells him that he is a nomad, someone who keeps moving in search of greener pastures. Through their experiences, the two come to understand and accept each other more. Junior’s perspective of himself and the reservation changes positively as he is exposed to the outside world. He first describes the tree as “tall and green and beautiful… the only reservation skyscraper.”

Using the word ‘only,’ he implies that the reservation is and empty and hopeless, yet the tree was the one thing that made it interesting. His description of the tree is a metaphor to his point of view of his life; Reardan is the giant tree looming over him and he is the one climbing to the top. BeforeJunior transfers to Reardan, he views his life as bland and unimportant and does not believe he has as much potential as the white kids. However, when Junior nearly reaches the top of the tree, he notices that he could “see for miles.” His view of the once small reservation expands with his new perspective, and the reservation does not seem so small anymore. Likewise, Junior gains a new outlook through attending Reardan. His exposure to the world outside of the reservation makes him realize his life isn’t so unimportant compared to white kids’ lives after all.

And at the summit of the tree, he takes in the breathtaking view even further. He describes his “world… at that moment” as “green and golden and perfect.” As junior arrives at his journey’s end at both Reardan and the tree, he looks around himself – and realizes that everything he has and has ever had is beautiful. At the moment thatJunior looks up at the huge tree, he is also looking up from the beginning of his journey through Reardan metaphorically. He describes the tree as a “monster,” giant and daunting. Despite being intimidated, Junior’s observation of the tree left him with only one thought: I’ll had to climb that tree.” Junior feels compelled to climb the tree just as he feels compelled to transfer to Reardan. As he starts to climb, the tree‘s branches become thinner and thinner.

Although Junior feels they may break under his weight, he persists and “climb[s] and climb[s] and climb[s]” on. Likewise, the reservation increasingly turns against junior for transferring to Reardan. He is fearful that his choice of attending Reardan will “send [him] plummeting to [his] death,” but he continues on, His persistence allows him to face and overcome all the challenges thrown at him. With the support of his friends, even the deaths of his close family members, although fazing, do not set him back from his goal. Through the trials and risks of both situations, Junior admits that although he was “scared, sure, terrified… it was also fun.”

As Junior looks back and reflects upon everything he has achieved, the friends he made, and the experiences he went through — he does not regret his initial decision of climbing up. People who expect each other to fail are chains that hold society down. It is only when one breaks free from their stereotypes that they can live up to their full potential. Junior, by taking the jump to Reardan, encompasses the idea of his true potential self. Junior did not conform to his stereotype of failure. He realized he wanted more, he wanted to be more, than what everyone expected of him. He reached for the stars – and succeeded. Through his experiences, he found out who he was and, ultimately, what he was capable of. Expectations only keep people down if they let them.