Banned Book Week

So, here it is, the end of another Banned Book Week! Before I go on, I will put out the warning that there may be some spoilers for anyone not already familiar with the events of this book.

To celebrate this year, I chose to read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. What a great book! I have to be honest, before looking up lists of recently banned and challenged books, I had never heard of this novel before. This is a story about about a Spokane Reservation Indian named Arnold Spirit, Jr., but who goes by Junior to all those on the reservation. He is an awkward kid, so he is frequently picked on by his peers, as well as many others who live on the reservation. Lucky for him, his best friend is a bully, so basically his own, personal, bodyguard. After a series of events, Junior transfers to the local "white" school, which, while advantageous to Junior, is seen as an act of betrayal against the Reservation, and so he is treated as a traitor. The story follows Junior through all of his ups and downs, tested friendships, family tragedies, new relationships, and the balancing act that is his life.

From the start, I was sucked into the story of Arnold Spirit. Junior, as the narrator, is a more amiable  Holden Caulfield, with his dry sense of humor. He starts off by describing just how awkward and unfortunate he is, which makes you feel for the poor guy. He's too smart for his own good, and often, too much of a smart-ass (can I say that here? I hope so!), which often leads to a black eye or a bruised body part. I loved the book, though, because Arnold Spirit seemed real, and completely relatable to a teenage boy. He is beginning to recognize the faults in his parents, but can overlook those faults with understanding and love. He has an awkward, yet close, relationship with his older sister. He loves his grandmother. He plays video games, shoots hoops, gets crushes on girls, and talks openly (to the reader, at least) about masturbation - 2 of these 4 things can arguably relate to 99.9% of all teenage boys! He and his best friend are as close as brothers, but express their love for each other in typical teenage-boy-ways: by harassing and picking on each other. He deals with acceptance, something that is a major concern for the average teenager. He copes with death. He understands racism. He sees alcoholism. This kid is living in a real world, with real world problems. As much as it's hard to admit, the stories in this book are not that far fetched for someone living on a reservation (see some stats here).

According to the ALA list of Frequently Challenged Books of the 21st Century, this book was challenged for "drugs/alcohol/smoking, offensive language, racism, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group."

The first offense is, in this day and age, ludicrous. Children and teenagers are exposed to much more explicit forms of these vices in video games, movies, and t.v. If anything, this book shows the dangers of alcohol addiction; Junior's grandmother is killed by a drunk driver, and his father's best friend, Eugene, is shot and killed by another friend over the last sip of alcohol in a bottle. To add to the destruction, Eugene's killer has no recollection of the event, but is so consumed by guilt, that he hangs himself. If that's not a warning to beware the dangers of alcohol addiction, I don't know what is.

As for the charge of "offensive language," again, I argue ludicrous. The targeted age group for this novel is an age group that learned how to swear on the playground years before, so I highly doubt there would be any shock by readers. That being said, working in a restaurant has made me immune to nearly all language some find "offensive," so nothing about the language of this book really sticks out to me, with the exception of two things. First, Junior's frank discussion about masturbation, which I assume is what the "sexually explicit" charge is referring to, as well. While I can understand some parents wanting to shield anything sexual from their children, it is an entirely natural thing that all boys around this age (or before) discover. Our narrator just admits to it, and celebrates his abilities. I'm not, nor was I ever, a teenage boy, so this, of course, is all speculation, but it's honest, and comical, and probably reassuring to teenage boys who may associate the act with shame. Our narrator suffers a couple instances of awkwardly timed arousals, which, again, is a normal teenage boy experience.

The second instance of "offensive language" ties in directly with the "racism" charge. This books is written about a Native American, by a Native American, as told through the eyes of a Native American. If he, Sherman Alexie, wants to use the term "Indian," he has every right to do so. Furthermore, his use of racial slurs like "Chief" and "Tonto," are to show how racist the people in his new school are.  The most offensive line in the book, shown below, is immediately labeled racist.
"Hey Chief," Roger said. "You want to hear a joke?"
"Sure," I said.
"Did you know that Indians are living proof that niggers fuck buffalo?"
I felt like Roger had kicked me in the face. That was the most racist thing I'd ever heard in my life.
(pg. 64)
It's as if Alexie is making sure that no reader will mistakenly think this sort of talk is ok. This was the worst language I found in the book, and the author - via the narrator - objects to this sort of language, and the speaker is immediately punished for it.

This book was written for a teenage audience in the very believable voice of a teenage boy. The story of Arnold Spirit could be related to by any teen living in poverty; any teen who has suffered from abuse; any teen who has mourned the death of a loved one; any teen who has seen the effects of alcoholism; any teen living in a small town; immigrants; outcasts; basketball players; and so on. And you can substitute "teen" for "person" in all of those examples. Would I give this book to a seven year old? No, probably not. But to ban the book from teenagers saying it's "unsuited to [their] age group" is insulting to teenagers. It's naive to think that teenagers aren't dealing with these sorts of issues in the school halls, so to try to withhold a book as honest as this one is about the struggle of the adolescent is insulting to adolescents everywhere. I strongly recommend every middle school and high school boy read this book, as well as anyone, teen or adult, who could relate to any of the situations I listed above.

I'll finish with my favorite quote of the book, which I sent to my sister, who works with low income families in Michigan. In class, we've been discussing the digital divide, and what that means for low income families. I stopped reading after I read this quote, and thought about everything this statement could mean for those living in poverty or low income. "Poverty doesn't give you strength or teach you lessons about perseverance. No, poverty only teaches you how to be poor," (pg. 97).