The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian: Chapter 29 Summary & Analysis

For most of the novel, Junior’s narration has been fast-paced, sarcastic, and focused on action, and so this quiet moment of introspection is a significant shift in tone. It freezes the present-day narrative in place and leaps back into the past—a psychologically appropriate move, given that Junior is now preparing to leave that past behind. Junior’s memory also involves some parallels to his current situation, as the tree then, like adulthood now, was a seemingly insurmountable challenge that he wasn’t afraid to face.

This flashback reveals that Junior was a much more supportive friend to Rowdy than Rowdy has been to him, but it also illustrates the private discussions of dreams that Junior had identified as a hallmark of their friendship. It speaks to the boys’ poverty (and thus to the obstacles against their dreams) that they imagine air conditioning, something many people take for granted, as the height of luxury.

The story of Stupid Horse is an odd, isolated episode, yet it also works as an important metaphor. The horse, like Junior, is incredibly persistent: it keeps coming back no matter what is done to obliterate it (and it’s in keeping with the novel’s sense of humor that this hopeful message is delivered by such a silly figure as Stupid Horse). As for the forgetfulness Junior rants about, he’s complained elsewhere in the novel about a lack of cultural memory—like Indians’ willingness to stay on reservations despite the fact that reservations were created as death camps—but in this case there’s a hopeful, redemptive element to the forgetting as well. The lake, like the horse, can always start over again, no matter what.

This is an example of Rowdy being a positive influence, and pushing Junior to face his fears and leave his comfort zone. In fact, the bravery that enables Junior to leave the reservation probably has a lot to do with what he’s learned from Rowdy, though neither of the boys would know it.

The moment Junior and Rowdy share in the tree is a moment outside of time. In reaching the top, they’ve just achieved a big dream of theirs, and for a while they don’t need to worry about having to grow up or what the future might bring for each of them.

Junior draws a clear analogy between climbing the tree and going to Reardan. Both were risky, frightening challenges that he hardly dared dream of completing, but he ultimately succeeded at both.

Though they’re now Junior’s friends, the white kids retain many of their associations with hope, as Roger has an eye toward Junior’s future as a star, and Penelope remains unattainable. Junior’s friendship with Gordy, though, is more of an equal give-and-take. Having welcomed Junior into his world of books, Gordy now wants to see Junior’s world too.

After all the changes Junior has gone through in the past year, it’s surprising to hear him dismiss the possibility that Rowdy could ever change. On the other hand, though, his choice to forgive Rowdy after their long battle for revenge shows he still deeply cares about his friend.

This exchange between Rowdy and Junior recalls their exchange on the basketball court—Rowdy reminds Junior of the past and how their relationship has always been, and Junior reminds him of the future and how people can change.

Junior and Rowdy finally address the fight they’ve been having throughout the novel, and Rowdy acknowledges that he’s come to terms with Junior’s decision to leave. The moment is bittersweet, however, since Rowdy makes clear that he believes he and Junior are destined for different things.

Comparing Junior to an “old-time nomad” puts Junior’s guilt and fears about being labeled a “white-lover” to rest. Rowdy is suggesting there is something essentially “Indian” about the desire to seek a better life, and that Junior embodies that. Rowdy’s literal dream about Junior traveling far away to fulfill his metaphorical dreams shows how deeply the boys still identify with and care about each other, even though (as the image of the wall suggests) they are growing apart as they grow up.

Interestingly, Junior includes Rowdy (and his entire tribe) on a list of his dead loved ones, as if his separation from them after he leaves will be just as complete. His caveat that he hopes he’ll forgive himself points out an important element of forgiveness that hasn’t been discussed before now: that it’s just as important, and often harder, to forgive yourself than for others to forgive you. Arguably, Junior’s confessional “diary,” which explains everything he’s done to an unknown audience, is his way of understanding and accepting his choice to leave.

This game of one-on-one with Rowdy, like the moment the two share in the tree, is a moment outside of time. The fact that they don’t keep score adds to this—not only are they no longer out for revenge or “settling the score,” but they also aren’t keeping track of the time that’s passed or the choices they’ve made, both of which would be represented by keeping score. Instead, the only thing that matters about the game is the fact that they’re playing it together.