Review of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie is one of the United States’ most disputed books. In 2009, the novel was suspended from a Crook County High School classroom in Prineville because a parent claimed that it was offensive. Later on, in 2011, it was banned from the Stockton School District. In 2012, it was banned—and then returned—to the Richland School District’s reading list. Next, it was pulled from Dade County shelves and removed from their required high school reading list due to parental complaints. But it does not stop there; the book continued—and continues—to be banned all over the country.
Most of the book’s backlash stems from its vulgar language as it contains racial slurs and profuse amounts of profanity. Domestic abuse, bullying, and physical violence are also graphically depicted. Though these are the primary reasons cited for removal, parents and educators also find fault with the frequent references to alcohol, anti-Christian sentiments, and discussion of racism.
As stated previously, the book deals with numerous heavy topics such as alcoholism. A large majority of the unhappy families on the reservation are said to be dealing with alcoholic fathers. The protagonist’s dad, Arnold, is an alcoholic. However, he is not abusive like Rowdy’s dad, which is where domestic violence comes in.
While the book was banned and challenged in many schools, other scholars believe it should not have been banned at all. They view the book’s discussion of heavy themes and topics positively as it exposes high school students to real-world issues that they will encounter later in their lives.
References:
https://www.oif.ala.org/oif/?p=1500
https://www.marshall.edu/library/bannedbooks/the-absolutely-true-diary-of-a-part-time-indian/
http://dh.truman.edu/english/fall2017group02/racism/
https://bannedbooksweek.org/banned-spotlight-the-absolutely-true-diary-of-a-part-time-indian/