The novel “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian”, written by Sherman Alexie and published in 2007 by Klett, is about the fourteen-year old Indian boy Arnold Spirit, called Junior, who gets away from his his daily life by changing to a school full of white people to follow his dreams and not to loose hope.

In the beginning Arnold starts telling the reader about his physical and psychological problems he has because of his brain damage.

We learn about his social background, family and friends, Rowdy and his dog Oscar who gets shooten by the father because he was ill and because of their poverty they couldn’t afford a vet.

Deeply sad about this, Arnold is seeking comfort from Rowdy. Then both go to the powwow celebration, where Arnold gets beaten up by the Andruss brothers. For revenge and to protect Arnold, Rowdy cuts of their braids.

The next chapter is placed in school. Arnold thinks about the past and realizes they were taught by the same books his mother already had. He gets really angry and smashes the book in his teachers face, accidentally breaking his nose. He is suspended from school but his teacher Mr. P visits him and advices him to leave the reservation if he doesn’t want to end up as all the others – hopeless.

Junior followed this advice and attended Reardan high, which is full of successful white people.

Rowdy gets to know this. In a rush of anger he punshes him and leaves him lying on the floor.

In the first day at Reardan high everybody stared at him, laughed about him and called him names. The worst are Roger and his friends. After a few days, he couldn’t stand it any more, so he punshes him in the face, which brought him respect. At his first day at school, he also met Penelope, who first ignored him but he already fell in love with her. He talks to Rowdy about his feelings but he is no help.

When Halloween comes, Junior dresses up as a homeless, just as Penelope to collect money. He wants to help her and also collects money in his reservation. Unfortunately he gets robbed and all the money is lost.

In the following chapter Junior reflects about how lonely and isolated he feels at school. Being treated unfair by a teacher, Gordy, a schoolmate, defends him making them friends.

He also gets to know from his mother that his sister Mary got married, his sister herself didn’t inform him. Later he received an e-mail where she tells him happily about her new life.

At Thanksgiving Junior misses Rowdy very much, because they always celebrated this together, but no don’t talk to each other any more. He draws a cartoon as a present for Rowdy and wants to give it to him at his house but Rowdys father was lying about Rowdys presence.

Back in school he goes to the toilet and hears someone vomiting in the next cabin, which made him trying to help. It comes out that it is Penelope, suffering from bulimia, what she finally admits breaking up in tears. Little by little they get closer to each other and become the hot item at school. Her father is not happy about this but finally has to accept it.

He realizes he has fallen in love and asks first Rowdy, then Gordy for advice.

He still feels not fully accepted because of being poor and living about twenty miles away form school, a distance he often made by feet. At the Winter Formal he has to wear his fathers old suit and can hardly afford anything. Penelope doesn’t care. Roger notices this and borrows him 40 dollars so he can buy some drinks and food and also invite Penelope. At the end of the evening, also Penelope realizes his poverty but instead of running away she kissed him.

He still misses Rowdy and sends him a photo. In return, he gets a mean photo of Rowdy. Junior feels that his people hate him for leaving the reservation and leading a different life. They compare him with an apple – red outside, white inside. This leaves him disappointed.

From her new life, far away from her reservation, his sister writes him a letter, complaining about none will give her a chance. She won’t get a job because of her lack of experience but none let her make the experience either.