A Psycho-social Study Of Native American Identity In Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-time Indian

Sherman Alexie(1966—) is one of the most acclaimed and prolific writers in contemporary America, popular with his works portraying the current situations of Native Americans. The life experiences on the Reservation as well as his tough growing path have proved to be the spring and inspiration to his writings. Teenagers are often portrayed in his writings, who seek opportunities for growth, construct identities and explore Native American tradition, cultural roots and history. Themes such as tradition, history, identity, racism and racial conflict are tackled in his writings.The semi-autobiographical young-adult novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian(2007)(hereinafter referred to as The Diary),widely popular and critically acclaimed, depicts a 14-year-old teenager named Arnold who leaves the Reservation for an all-white high school, fighting for a change in his life. The novel is impressive for its humorous diction, innovative comic illustration and vivid characterization. A number of awards prove that it is a significant piece of writing, including the National Book Award(2007), Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, Fiction and Poetry(2008), “Top Ten Best Books for Young Adult” by Young Adult Literary Services Association(YALSA)(2008).Through Arnold’s narration, a teenager of the Reservation crossing borders to attend an all-white high school, Alexie presents his experience as a Native youth who successfully forms his part-time Indian identity in the aggressive environment. This thesis will analyze The Diary through identity formation of Arnold via psycho-social theories of identity, analyzing the causes of Native American identity crisis, influential factors on identity formation and stages of identity formation.Identity formation is not a static process. Rather, it is under the influence of social, economic and cultural circumstances. Taking positive measures to cope with conflicts and frustrations is conducive to solve the identity crisis emerging in the process. Adolescence is a critical period for one to form his/her identity. Poverty, alcoholism, death and racism have made Arnold feel uncertain about staying at the reservation, which prompts him to make the decision to attend an all white school where hope shines. During his identity formation process, he goes through three stages, namely, the conformity stage, the introspection stage and the synergetic articulation and awareness stage. Eventually he is recognized by both the white community and his reservation, forming his identity as a “part-time”Indian.Alexie explores the young Native American’s identity and presents his formation process in the multicultural context, which is of great significance to Native American youth who live in an aggressive environment and face dilemmas, providing a guideline to how to cope with identity crisis, especially for those having a ethic background.