The

Absolutely
True Diary
of a
Part-Time
Indian
Questions
1.- The Black-Eye-of-the-Month Club

1.- What was supposed to have happened when the narrator was six months
old? What happened instead?

2. - Describe three things that are physically “wrong” with the

narrator. 3.- Why did Junior had 10 teeth pulled out at the same

time?

4.- Why was he given only half the usual amount of Novocain?

5.- Why is the first section of the story titled “The Black-Eye-of-the-Month
Club”? What does the title suggest about how the narrator sees the world?

6.- Explain why the narrator prefers drawings to words.

7.- What does the reader learn about the reservation? What kind of place is it?
2.- Why Chicken Means So Much to Me

1.- What is the worst thing about being poor, according to Junior? Which story
does Junior tell about it.

2.- Mother tells Junior that Oscar will be all right. Junior is surprised that her
mother is such a bad liar. Why does Junior think that Indians should be better
liars?

3.- What is Junior’s relationship with his parents like? How does the incident
with Oscar show this?

4.- Junior draws a picture of his parents as they would be if they had realized
their potential. Where does he think they would be?

5.- How does Junior link being poor and being Indian?

3.- Revenge is my Middle Name

1.- Who is Rowdy. Describe him.

2.- After a teacher asks Rowdy, “What’s wrong with you?” he yells
back, “Everything!” What are some reasons why Rowdy is so angry?

3.- Why does Rowdy spend most of his time at Junior’s house? In which
sense are Rowdy’s father and Junior’s parents similar? How are they
different?

4.- Why is Junior afraid of going to the powpow? Why does he finally go
there? What happens to Junior?

5.- What is Rowdy’s revenge on the Andruss brothers?

6.- What does Rowdy’s choice of comic book reveal about him? 7.- In which

sense are Junior and Rowdy the most important person for each other?

4.- Because Geometry Is Not a Country Somewhere Near

France 1.- How does Junior feel about starting high school?

2.- What are Junior’s expectations for him and Rowdy about playing high
school basketball?

3.- What happened to Mary after she graduated from high school? How does
Junior feel about it?

4.- In the drawing Junior does of his sister, how does she attain most of
her clothing?

5.- Why is Mary called Mary Runs Away, and why is the name ironic?
6.- Describe Mr. P. What does Junior’s description of him suggest about
education on the reservation?

7.- Why does seeing his mother’s name in his geometry book make Junior
furious?

5.- Hope Against Hope

1.- What does Mr. P mean when he says, “We were supposed to kill the
Indian to save the child”? What effect does this information have on Junior?

2.- What does Mr. P tell Junior about Mary when she was at school?
3.- What have Mary and Rowdy already done according to Mr. P?

4.- When Mr. P asks Junior to say that he deserves the world, Junior starts to
cry. Why does this make him cry? Why can’t Junior say that he deserves the
world?

5.- Why does Mr. P think that Junior threw the book at him?

6.- Why does Mr. P think that Junior needs to leave the reservation?

6.- Go Means Go

1.- What characterizes Reardan High, the school Junior wants to attend? Why
does he want to go there?

2.- Who are the people with most “Hope” according to Junior’s parents?

3. Describe Junior’s parents’ reaction to his wish to change schools. Why

do they respond the way they do?

4.- Which are the two things that will be hard for Junior about going to Reardan?

5.- What is good and bad about the Rez? What can be Junior’s reasons to
stay or leave the Rez?
7.- Rowdy Sings the Blues

1.- What was the result everytime Reardan and Wellpinit high schools
competed together in basketball, flag football and baseball in previous
years?

2.- What happened in the Academic Bowl competition?

3. When Junior thinks about the kids at Reardan, what image appears in his

mind? 4.- What is the different attitude of Junior and Rowdy towards

Reardan?

5.- What is Rowdy’s reaction to Junior’s news about going to school in

Reardan? Why does he respond that way?

6.- Junior had to know that Rowdy wouldn’t take the news about Reardan well,
and he could have just gone to Reardan without telling him. Why didn’t he?

8.- How to Fight Monsters

1.- What does Junior’s dad tell him on his first day at Reardan? Why is it the
right thing for his dad to have said?

2.- On his first day at Reardan what wry observation does Junior make
about the only other Indian in town?

3. - Describe several differences Junior shows in his cartoon of white

Junior/Indian Junior.
4.- Why does Junior punch Roger in the face when Roger tells him a
particularly offensive racist joke?

9.- Grandmother Gives Me Some Advice

1.- Who is Junior making fun of when he describes the “Highly Sacred
Aboriginal Transportation Charms” his grandmother sells on eBay?
2.- What conclusion does Junior’s grandmother reach about Junior’s altercation
with Roger? Is she right?

3.- How does Roger treat Junior when he sees him? Why?

4.- Who is Eugene?

5.- Why doesn’t Junior’s dad drive him to school on his second day at Reardan?
How does Junior finally go to school?

6.- How does Penelope behave towards Junior on his second day at Reardan?

10.- Tears of a Clown

1.- What is Rowdy’s response when Junior opens up about his feelings for
Dawn, the best 10 year old powpow dancer?
2.- How does Junior feel about himself when he cries? Why?

3.- Rowdy’s behavior is harsh in this short chapter, but at its end, he is
somewhat redeemed. In what way does he redeem himself?

11.- Halloween
1.- How do Junior and Penelope become friends on Halloween?

2.- Junior says of the money he raised on Halloween, “The idea of giving it to
poor people . . . had made me feel pretty good about myself.” Why would he
feel good about himself, and how does Junior’s own poverty affect the way
he feels about charity?

3.- What makes Junior remember trick-or-treating with Rowdy?

12.- Slouching Toward Thanksgiving

1.- What makes Junior feel like a zero at Reardan?

2.- What does Junior discover about his intelligence comparing himself to the
rest of the students at Reardan?
3.- Why does Mr. Dodge become angry with Junior? How does he reveal his

racism? 4.- Why does Gordy support’s Junior’s opinion during the science

class?

5.- Why is Junior scared about his sister’s choice to move to Montana? Why
is he inspired by it?

6.- How do Junior and Gordy become friends?

7.- Junior tells Gordy why he draws cartoons. Why?

8.- What is Gordy’s opinion about Junior’s cartoons?

9.- Gordy considers books—and reading—to be erotic. Why? Leaving aside the
sexual metaphor, what is Gordy trying to convey to Junior on their trip to the
library?

10.- What are some of the ways Junior gets to and from school? What does this
say about him?

13.- My Sister Sends Me an E-Mail

1.- What does Mary like about her new life?

2.- What strikes Mary as significant about the fry bread she orders? Why?

14.- Thanksgiving
1.- . What is Junior’s opinion of Thanksgiving? Why?

2.- Why are Indians still celebrating Thanksgiving according to Junior’s dad?

3.- Why does Junior miss Rowdy specially on Thanksgiving? What does he
do as a consequence?

4.- Contrast how Junior interprets his drawing for Rowdy with how Rowdy’s
father interprets it.

5.- Why is Junior happy that Rowdy doesn’t tear up his cartoon?

15.- Hunger Pains

1.- What does Junior tell Penelope that makes her start talking about how
she feels? How does she feel?

2.- Why does Junior compare Penelope with his dad?

3.- How is Penelope and Junior’s relationship mutually beneficial? Is this all
there is to their relationship? Do they also connect at a deeper level?

16.- Rowdy Gives Me Advice About Love

1.- What answer does Junior get from Rowdy when he emails his former friend
that he is in love with a white girl?

2.- Why does Gordy consider Junior a racist?

3.- In which way are Rowdy’s and Gordy’s answers similar? Do you think they
are right?

17.- Dance, Dance, Dance

1.- Why does Junior hide the fact that he is poor?

2.- What changes Junior’s perspective on the suit he wears to the Winter
Formal?

3.- In which ways do Roger and Penelope help Junior the night of the dance?
Why is it so important to Junior?

4.- What does Junior mean when he reflects, “If you let people into your life a
little bit, they can be pretty damn amazing”?

18.- Don’t Trust Your Computer

1.- Why is Junior depressed after he receives an email with Rowdy’s bare ass?
What comparison does he make between Rowdy and the kids at Reardan?

2.- Why do a lot of people back on the Rez call Junior an apple? Why do they
mean by that?

3.- Gordy says that life is a constant struggle between being an individual and
being a member of the community. What does it mean?

19.- My Sister Sends Me a Letter

1.- Why can’t Mary find a job? What is she doing in the meantime? Is she
happy?

2.- Describe Mary’s new house, as seen through her eyes and as seen
through Junior’s. Why might Junior feel the way he does?

20.- Reindeer Games

1.- Who encourages Junior to try out for the basketball team at Reardan? Why?
2.- Explain how Junior’s first impression of Coach changes. How does he
first appear to Junior? What kind of man does Coach prove to be?

3.- Why does Junior think he doesn’t have a chance to get into the basketball
team? How does he manage to get into the team?

4.- What is significant about the “rez” basketball fans using the name “Arnold”
in their insults?

5.- Junior thinks about sitting out the Wellpinit game, but he changes his mind
when he sees his mom, dad, and grandma. Why does seeing them change his
mind?

6.- Why didn’t Eugene go to college and play in the college

team? 7.- How does Welllpinint team win the game against

Reardan?

8.- Why doesn’t Junior repeat the conversation between himself and Coach
at the hospital the night after the game?

21.- And a Partridge in a Pear Tree

1.- Why is Junior hard on himself when his father comes home after the
Christmas holidays when he spends the little money they have to get drunk?

2.- Why does the five dollars that Junior’s dad gives him represent “a beautiful
and ugly thing?”

22.- Red Versus White

1.- What positive things does Junior see in Indians and Indians
parents, as compared to white people?

2.- What does Junior say was his grandmother’s best quality? How did she

display it? 3.- Why does Junior think Indians have lost their tolerance?

4.- How does Junior’s grandmother die? What great social ill is suggested
by her death?

5-. Describe Junior’s use of all capital letters after describing his
grandmother’s death. What effect does the typographical change have?

23.- Wake
1.- Where is Grandmother’s wake held? Why?
2.- Why do people on the reservation treat Junior differently after his
grandmother dies?

3.- Why does Junior find white strangers’ visits to the reservation “sickening”
and “boring”? How does he characterize Ted?

4.- How does Junior’s mother challenge Ted the billionaire? What effect does it
have for the community?

24.- Valentine Heart

1.- How does Eugene die? Is there a recurrent element of the novel in his
death? 2.- How do Dad and Mom deal with their grief?

3.- Do these methods work for Junior?

4.- What do the Reardan students do for Junior? How does it affect him?

25.- In Like a Lion

1.- Which is the number one-ranked school in the basketball league? Which
team is second?

2.- Why does Junior become a better basketball player at Reardan?

3.- Why won’t Junior discuss his feelings with the journalist? Why does he
change his mind about talking to him?

4.- What does Junior finally say to the journalist before his second game
against Wellpinit? Why does he want to win?

5.- What does Junior think is the most amazing sentence a young person can
hear from an adult? Why is it so powerful?

6.- Why does Reardan win the basketball game?

7.- Junior references the biblical story of David and Goliath, wherein the
underdog, David, triumphs over Goliath, the mighty warrior. How does this story
relate to the way Junior feels about the defeated team?

26.- Rowdy and I Have a Long Serious Discussion About Basketball

1.- What does Junior say in the email he sends Rowdy a few days after
the basketball season ended?

2.- Why is the email exchange between Junior and Rowdy relevant to Junior at
all?
27.- Because Russian Guys Are Not Always Geniuses
1.- How many funerals have the kids at Reardan attended in their lives? How
many has Junior attended? What is the cause of 90% of them?

2.- Why does Junior start laughing like crazy when his father turns up to pick
him up after his sister’s death?

3.- Why does Junior’s mother slap him? What does she ask of him?

4.- Why doesn’t Junior join the ceremony after his sister’s burial? What is
ironical about that ceremony?
5.- Why does Rowdy say that Junior is guilty of his sister’s death? 6.-

Describe Junior’s reception when he returns to school. Why does it help

him?

28.- My Final Freshman Year Report Card

1.- Were Junior’s final marks as a freshman good? In which subjects has he
done specially well?

29.- Remembering
1.- When Junior goes to visit the graves of Grandmother Spirit, Eugene and
Mary, he realizes that he belongs to many tribes apart from the Spokane. Which
other tribes?

2.- What does this realization makes him know?

30.- Talking About Turtles

1.- After the end of the school year Junior misses all his friends at Reardan. But
then he tells the stories of Turtle Lake and the giant pine tree. Why?

2.- What reason does Rowdy give for visiting Junior? What is the real

reason? 3.- How does Rowdy express his support of Junior’s path?

4.- The final line of the novel is this sentence: “We didn’t keep score.” Why
is it significant?

Themes
Isolation

Loss

Hope, strength and

struggle Other themes:
- Coming of age
- Education
- Friendship
- Family
 - Violence
- Alcoholism
- Death

Characters
Junior – Arnold
Dad
Mom
Mary
Grandmother
Eugene
Rowdy
Rowdy’s dad
Penelope
Gordy
Roger
Mr. P