The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian 📖 vt24

A reading Project of the novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian

 

 

Week	A: Mo C: Tue	A: Tue C: We	A: Fri C. Fri
8	Intro Listen to 1st chapter together   Sherman Alexie: Sherman Alexie | Native American writers - YouTube   Meet Sherman Alexie - YouTube      Inside life on the Lakota Sioux reservation l Hidden America: Children of the Plains PART 1/5 - YouTube   Answer questions on Unikum.	Start reading the book For ESL English Language Learners (esl-bits.eu)   Read ch 2-5	Log: ch 1-5   Keep reading
9	Keep reading Må: Studiedag	Keep reading	Log:  ch 6- 12
10	Keep reading	Keep reading	Log  ch 13-20
11	Keep reading Utv.samtal em. OBS! Vid behov: Läs hemma	Keep reading	Log ch 21-26
12	Keep reading 9C:Ti: utgår p.g.a. NP Sv/sva OBS! Vid behov: Läs hemma	Keep reading 9A:Ti: utgår p.g.a. NP Sv/sva	Log ch 27-30
13	Final Exam	Final Exam	Final Exam

Uppgifter

Robert Looks Twice

After having seen the short film about Robert looks Twice, answer the following questions:

1. Robert Looks Twice lives in a reservation. Describe his home.

2. What are Roberts future plans?

3. What is missing in the reservation, that you normally find in an ordinary village/small town.

4. What is said about social problems among the native Americans?

5. Roberts cousin has a scar on his hand. How did he get it?

6. What does Robert say about the ”easy road” and the ”muddy road” ?

7. What is your reaction to Robert´s life?

Chapters 1-5 True Diary

Ch 1: The Black-Eye-of-the-Month-Club

1. Why is junior a member of the ”Black-Eye-of-the-Month-Club”?

2. Why does Junior draw cartoons? What do the first two cartoons depict? What does this tell us about Junior?

3. Describe the style of writing in the first chapter.

Ch 2: Why Chicken Means so Much to Me

1. What does Junior identify as the worst thing about being poor?

2. ”And hey, in a weird way, being hungry makes food taste better” (p8) What does this statement show us about Junior?

3. What happens to Oscar? What does this illustrate to the reader?

4. How is poverty a cycle for Junior´s family?

5. Use five adjectives to describe Junior´s personality so far.

Ch 3: Revenge Is My Middle Name

1. Describe Rowdy and Junior´s relationship. What do they do for each other?

2. What is the Spokane Powwow?

3. What does Rowdy do to the Andruss brothers? Why? What does this demonstrate about his friendship with Junior?

Ch 4: Beacause Geometry Is Not a Country Somewhere Near France

1. Describe Mr P.

2. Why is Junior so ccynical about white teachers?

3. What angers Junior about his geometry book?

Ch 5: Hope Against Hope

1. Why does Junior throw his geometry book? What does thiss signify?

2. Why does Mr P say the following: ”Every white person on this rev should get smashed in the face. But, let me tell you this. All the Indians should get smashed in the face too.”

Chapters 6-12 True Diary

Ch 6: Go Means Go

1. How does Junior´s parents react to his decision to change schools? What does this show about them?

Ch 7: Rowdy Sings the Blues

1. How are sporting resultsused to compare the two schools? Why is it significant that Rowdy performed well at most competitions?

2. How does Rowdy react to Junior´s decision to move schools? Why does he react in this way?

3. How does Rowdy disguise his pain?

Ch 8: How to Fight Monsters

1. Why is Junior deemed to have betrayed his tribe?

2. Describe the cartoon on p 57. What does this symbolise about Junior´s insecurities?

3. How does the confusion over Junior´s names demonstrate his change in culture?

4. How do the students react to Junior in Reardan?

5. How could Junior have reacted to being called names?

6. How does the fight illustrate the difference in social codes?

7. ”Maybe I was telling the world I was no longer a moving target.” How is this a significant moment for Junior?

Ch 9: Grandmother Gives Me Some Advice

1. ”I realized how much of my self-worth, my sense of safety, was based on Rowdy´s fists.” How does Junior learn to stand up for himself?

2. What is Junior´s grandmother´s advice?

Ch 10: Tears of a Clown

1. What does Junior´s story about Dawn illustrate to the reader?

Ch 11: Halloween

1. How does Junior try to establish a connection with Penelope?

2. How does trick or treating remind Junior of Rowdy?

Ch 12: Slouching Towards Thanksgiving

1. How does the author illustrate Junior´s loneliness?

2. What is significant about Junior speaking up in class?

3. How does Mr Doge reply and how does this make Junior feel?

4. Examine the cartoon of Junior´s journey to school on p. 88. Contrast this how you normally get to school. How many kilometers is 22 miles?

5. What does Mary do? Why?

6. How does Junior become friends with Gordy? What do they have in common?

Chapters 13-20 True Diary

Ch 13: My Sister Sends Me an E-mail

1. Summarise Mary´s email in three bullet points

Ch 14: Thanksgiving

1. Why does Junior think of Rowdy at Thanksgiving time?

2. Describe the cartoon Junior draws. Why is Rowdy´s respect still important to Junior?

3. How does Rowdy´s father regard the cartoon? Is this type of reaction typical in today´s society? How could the fear of being considered ”gay” limit male interactions?

Ch 15: Hunger Pains

1. How does Penelope and Junior´s friendship develop?

2. How are Penelope and Junior using each other?

3. What advice does Junior give Penelope? Is it good advice?

Ch 16: Rowdy Gives Me Advice About Love

1. Why does Junior refer to how ”white” Penelope is? What is the effect of this?

2. ”White girls are privileged. They´re damsels in distress.” (p.116) What does this mean?

Ch 17: Dance Dance Dance

1. Why is the Novel called The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian?

2. Examine the cartoon on p. 120. Analyse each of the pictures. Why do you think Alexie presents the information in this way?

3. How do Penelope and Roger react to Junior´s admission that he is poor?

4. What does Junior learn by the end of the chapter?

Ch 18: Don´t Trust Your Computer

1. What does Junior email Rowdy and how does he reply? Why does this make Junior laugh?

2. Why do the people at home call Junior an ”apple”?

3. What does Gordy say about the role of the tribe? How is this applicable to Junior?

Ch 19: My Sister Sends Me a Letter

1. What does Junior think of Mary´s ”gorgeous new place”?

Ch 20: Reindeer Games

1. Why does Junior try out for the basketball team?

2. What happens at try-outs? Why does Junior get in?

3. Why does Junior say ”it was like something out of Shakespeare” (p.142) when he discovers their first game is against Wellpinit?

4. What happens when Junior enters the gym? How does he react? Why?

5. What happens during the basketball game? Write a short newsreport.

Chapters 21-26 True Diary

Ch 21: And a Partridge in a Pear Tree

1. Describe Junior´s Christmas

Ch 22: Red Versus White

1. What good things about his culture does Junior realise?

2. Why does Junior describe his grandmother as tolerant?

Ch 23: Wake

1. ”We all have to find our own way to say goodbye” (p.161) How does Junior do this?

2. Who is Billionaire Ted and what is his story?

3. ”We lived and died together. (p.166) What does this show about Junior´s community?

Ch 24: Valentine Heart

1. How does Junior cope with his grief?

2. What do Junior´s cartoons (p. 170+171) reveal about his emotions?

3. What happens in Mrs Jeremy´s class? Why is this so significant to Junior?

Ch 25: In Like a Lion

1. How does Junior explain his improvement in basketball?

2. What does the cartoon on p. 182 demonstrate about his feelings?

3. How does Sherman Alexie build tension towards the game?

4. What is the Reardan game plan? Is this successful?

5. How does Coach give his team confidence?

6. What happens during the game? Why does Junior cry when the game is finished? What does he realise?

Ch 26: Rowdy and I Have a Long and Serious Discussion About Basketball

1. Why is the chapter title humorous?

Chapters 27-30 True Diary

Ch 27: Because Russian Guys Are Not Always Geniuses

1. How does Mary die?

2. How does Junior react to Mary´s death? Why does he react in this way?

3. Why does Junior feel responsible in some way for Mary´s death?

4. How do the students at Reardan show they care?

Ch 28: My Final Freshman Year Report Card

1. Describe Junior´s report card.

Ch 29: Remembering

1. What realisations does Junior arrive at?

2. What tribes does Junior belong to? How does this help him feel better?

Ch 30: Talking About Turtles

1. Why do Junior and Rowdy climb the tree? What does this symbolise?

2. How does Rowdy compare Junior to a nomad?

3. ”We didn´t keep score” (p.230). What does the final line signify?

4. Do you think Rowdy and Junior will remain friends? Explain.

True Diary Final Exam

You have two options:

1. Write an essay on Friendship. This is an individual writing task.

2. Record a podcast. You prepare yourself individually, in school. Discuss the book, in pairs/groups of three, based on your notes from your preparations. You might have to do the recording at home.

The Absolutely True Final exam Friendship.docx

Book Discussion True Diary.docx

Themes from True Diary

Besides friendship, there are a number of different themes that Sherman Alexie brings up in the novel. Write about some of them. Read more in the attached file.

Themes from True Diary (2).docx