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Chapter 12
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Identity, Belonging, and Coming-of-Age
Overlapping Opposites
Racism, Poverty, and Alcoholism
Confessions, Revenge, and Forgiveness
Hope, Dreams, and Loss
Drawing, Writing, and Junior’s Cartoons
Summary
Analysis
Junior receives an enthusiastic email from his sister in which Mary tells Junior about her new home in Montana. The Flathead reservation has more towns and restaurants than the Spokane reservation, making it seem more successful economically. Mary tells Junior that she ordered Indian fry bread like their grandmother’s in a hotel on her honeymoon, and describes her new life as “a dream come true.”
Mary’s letter suggests that reservation life isn’t inherently bad. The Flathead reservation seems to provide more opportunities than the Spokane reservation, making it a hopeful example of what Wellpinit could be like. Mary’s email is quoted directly rather than summarized by Junior, allowing her to construct and communicate—and thereby fulfill—her “dream come true” in her own words.
Themes
