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Censorship: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

 

            In the Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie is about a high school freshman named Junior who decides to go to school off of his reservation. As the novel goes on many inappropriate topics are discussed that many parents disagree with. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian should not be banned from schools and censored but students parents should be able to not have their kids read the novel. Students shouldn't have the book taken away from them but parents should be able to have their child not read it. Throughout the novel, there are a lot of sexual references that are not allowed in many houses and religions. One of the most controversial things Junior says is in the beginning of the book. Junior is still describing himself and he says, "I spend hours in the bathroom with a magazine that has one thousand pictures of naked movie starsYep that right. I admit that I masturbate." (25-26) Junior reveals this because sex is one thing that everyone has a connection to. No matter what race, sex, or socio-economic class you are in you have a connection to sex. Even though we all connect doesn't mean that everyone approves. There are many religions and parents that don't allow pre-marital sex and masturbation which leads them to not having their kid read the book. Another topic that could lead a parent to banning this novel is abuse.
             Different forms of abuse are shown throughout the novel and some parents don't what their kids to read about it. The abuse varies from physical to alcohol abuse. Juniors best friend Rowdy is being is being abused and Junior tells us by saying, "I have to guess especially since Rowdy is having one of the worst summers of his life. His father is drinking, so Rowdy and his mother are always walking around with bruised and bloody faces." (16) The physical abuse is a result of Rowdys fathers alcoholic abuse. The purpose of abuse in this novel is to show how the adults cope with their struggles.


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