The Absolutely True Diary of A Part-Time Indian Essay

The Absolutely True Diary of A Part-Time Indian, is a down-to-Earth novel, written by Sherman Alexie, I would nominate as the most stereotypical book I've ever read. One of the major themes within these light and racist pages is the discovering one's identity. Arnold, an Indian and the protagonist, who lives on the Spokane Reservation, compares his life to tribes of which he is a member. At the beginning of the novel, he believes that he can only belong to one tribe: either White, or Indian, after he transitions to an all-white school. His sudden epiphany allows him to see the beauty of belonging to more than ten different tribes.

"And the tribe of cartoonists.

And the tribe of chronic masturbators.

And the tribe of teenage boys.

And the tribe of small-town kids.

And the tribe of Pacific Northwesterners.

And the tribe of tortilla chips-and-salsa lovers.

And the tribe of poverty.

And the tribe of funeral-goers.

And the tribe of beloved sons.

And the tribe of boys who really missed their best friends." (Alexie, 217).

Arnold has a realization of belonging. Our English assignment was to write about a tribe that we feel we belong to, in depth. Here's my essay:

Life’s Conceptual Messengers

We are all given a room at birth. The darkness in these corners makes it seems desolate and unfulfilling. You can not see anything. You can change that. The resolution to bringing light into the room is by trying something new, improving your perspective of the world, or discovering something about your identity. Tribes are the windows to someone’s life. They bring an unterminating amount of light into your dark room. They create areas of realization that further one’s comprehension of their family, or the world. These groups aggregate with other groups, forming stronger relationships, or they may deviate themselves from the majority, creating a separate group that does not fail to sparkle just as brightly. One person may consider themselves a member of ten tribes while another may belong to more than one hundred. Tribes can bring comfort, joy, austerity, and even dispute. No two people will have the same tribes. This makes everyone unique from each other. It encourages people to discover their identity and learn how different, yet similar they are to others. Varying tribes results in varying identities which allows space for everyone to shine.

The impact of being a member of the abstract artist tribe has inspired a major change in my paradigm of life by creating a more positive mindset. Many artists are observant. They notice the world, scrutinizing its details. Abstract artists take this asset another step farther. Having a love for abstractness has helped me develop a sense of vigilance towards beauties within life, beyond those placed before me. It has built a positivity within my mind, teaching me that I drive the answers and outcomes I want. My future depends on my present reactions.

Last year, I was pondering why fate had created such a difficult road for me. Why was I struggling with the Short Answer Responses (SAR) writing in Language Arts? My life sucked, how could I get such a low math test grade after all my hard work? Why was the world turning on me? These questions all relate to the struggles of understanding my individual faculty to succeed in life. I had gained strength and knowledge of creativity from being an abstract artist so I was able to view these back setting wonders positively, as an opportunity to open another window, and drive the answers I wanted. I could have drove my answers into a tree or off a cliff. Instead, my quality of being abstract, lead me to see the positive side to the situation and conquer my beliefs of failure.

Earlier this month, I joined a social change art group. We discussed thought provoking messages that we noticed were condoned throughout the community. One idea we addressed was the idea of body image. We accumulated ideas for portraying this uncomfortable topic in a discreet, yet powerful manner. The final painting was abstract, which on the outside, seemed depthless and shallow, but with meticulous examination and clarity of mindset, was a work of social progression that addressed the pain others felt in a lighter form. The brainstorming and creation of the painting taught me to display my abstract perspective to the world by showing courage, and taking the initiative to educate and bring awareness. I am telling of an inspiration. 

I am oblivious to my future. I do not know where I will drive my life. I do not know how big the windows in my room will develop. I do not know how much light they will bring. Regardless of where I end up in life–in the rubbles or on the hilltops–I predict that my relationship with art will not wane. In my dark room, tribes will perpetually grow and others will wither. However, the abstract art windows in my dim room will be hard to shut because they have not only changed my competence to observe the world from different eyes, it has metamorphosed my outlook in life. Abstract art has taught me to be a leader, constantly looking for ways to contribute advice to an ever growing society. Abstract art has helped me see beauty in often foreign corners of the world. Abstract artists are life’s conceptual messengers. 

What tribes do you believe you belong to? Why?

What do tribes mean to you in general? 

How have your tribes shaped your personality?