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Literature Videos 289 videos

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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian 14733 Views


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Description:

One minute, we're crying out of sadness; the next thing you know, we're crying out of laughter. Arnold's diary puts ours to shame. Excuse us while we go journal about how terrible that makes us feel.

Language:
English Language

Transcript

00:04

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, a la Shmoop.

00:08

We live in a pretty visual society.

00:10

The internet gives us all the wardrobe malfunctions, skateboard wipeouts and cats in sunglasses

00:15

we can handle.

00:16

We don’t just want money; we want you to show us the money…

00:20

…and that skin cream had better have some impressive before and after pictures, or we’re

00:24

sticking with our normal brand. Books, on the other hand, are usually more

00:28

about words.

00:30

Want visual aids? Better bust out that imagination. Or make a diorama. …

00:35

But in Sherman Alexie’s <Uh-Lex-ee-s> The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian…

00:39

…budding illustrator Arnold…or Junior… draws a ton of pictures for show and tell.

00:45

Almost every character gets five minutes of fame, and Arnold even gives himself the cartoon

00:49

treatment.

00:50

Why does Alexie include so many illustrations in his Absolutely True Diary?

00:54

Did he really love story time as a kid?

00:58

Or was he just trying to fill space? Maybe it has to do with Alexie’s audience.

01:04

Like Arnold, many of Absolutely True Diary’s readers are young adults who have a lot going

01:08

on in their lives.

01:10

Books have to compete with sports, final exams, family issues, and that cute sophomore from

01:18

Pre-Algebra.

01:19

With all this background noise, it’s hard to keep your attention focused on… Hey,

01:24

what’s that?

01:25

Let’s face it… the best book in the world can’t beat that meatball sub calling your

01:29

name from the fridge.

01:32

So what’s a novel gotta do to get some attention around here?

01:36

Well, as any graphic novel reader will tell you, comics are hard to resist.

01:41

Arnold’s illustrations are bite-sized treats, and there’s always one more right around

01:45

the corner.

01:46

They’re like delicious little Easter eggs, leading you on to the next page.

01:50

Or maybe Alexie is trying to give the reader a break from his Kleenex-worthy plotlines.

01:54

Arnold’s life is no day at the beach.

01:57

His tribe boos him at basketball games…

01:59

…and his one-time best friend is now the self-appointed president of the Anti-Arnold

02:04

League. Just when he thinks it can’t get any worse,

02:07

Arnold loses three loved ones to alcoholism, and goes a little nuts trying to cope.

02:12

By this time, most of us would need some serious therapy, but when the going gets tough, the

02:17

tough get giggling.

02:18

Thanks to those illustrations.

02:20

Maybe laughter really is the best medicine. At least it keeps Arnold from going off the

02:24

deep end.[1] Although, there could be another reason for

02:27

the drawings.

02:27

Arnold’s[2] great at unflattering caricatures… we’d hate to be Coach or Mr. P. …

02:33

…but he also creates snapshots of important people in his life, which are a lot easier

02:37

to absorb than a three page write-up of a character’s vital stats.

02:42

Arnold says that his illustrations help him understand the world, but they also help us

02:47

get to know our part-time narrator.

02:50

Is he Arnold, the All-Native-American basketball star, or Junior, the traitorous Caucasian

02:55

wannabe?

02:56

How does a poor kid buy his shorty a short stack?

03:00

And what does a confused kid’s brain feel like after all of this role-playing?

03:03

We haven’t walked a mile in Arnold’s shoes, but by the end of the book we can almost smell

03:08

his sneakers. So what’s up with all the pictures in Arnold’s

03:12

Diary?

03:13

Are they attention-grabbers? …

03:14

Is Alexie trying to dry your tears after all the sad parts?

03:18

Or do Arnold’s pictures show us the world through his glasses?

03:21

Shmoop amongst yourselves.

03:22

[1]Can we be a little more explicit here about the fact that the drawings are what might

03:23

make us laugh? (Because they're caricatures?) [2]Maybe a quick "Or maybe" type transition

03:25

here?

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