The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

by

Sherman Alexie

Coach Character Analysis

The coach of Junior’s and Roger’s basketball team at Reardan High School. Pledging to treat his team with dignity and respect, and treating Junior’s tears and “yucking” (or pregame vomiting) with compassion and understanding, Coach becomes an important father figure for Junior. He admires Junior’s attitude of commitment and empowers him with his belief in Junior’s strength, talent, and potential.
Get the entire Diary of a Part-Time Indian LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian PDF

Coach Character Timeline in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

The timeline below shows where the character Coach appears in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 20 - Reindeer Games
Identity, Belonging, and Coming-of-Age Theme Icon
Racism, Poverty, and Alcoholism Theme Icon
...short, skinny, and slow, and like all the white boys are better than him. When Coach announces that he can only take twenty-four players out of the forty boys who have... (full context)
Identity, Belonging, and Coming-of-Age Theme Icon
Hope, Dreams, and Loss Theme Icon
Coach begins by ordering one hundred laps around the gym—with four players quitting by the end... (full context)
Identity, Belonging, and Coming-of-Age Theme Icon
Hope, Dreams, and Loss Theme Icon
...bump, and Junior knows he will make the team. In fact, he makes varsity, and Coach says he’s the best shooter who’s ever played for him. (full context)
Identity, Belonging, and Coming-of-Age Theme Icon
Confessions, Revenge, and Forgiveness Theme Icon
Hope, Dreams, and Loss Theme Icon
...Reardan team arrives outside the gym, they can hear the Indian fans chanting, “Ar-nold sucks!” Coach tells Junior that he doesn’t have to play, but Junior says he does. Seeing his... (full context)
Identity, Belonging, and Coming-of-Age Theme Icon
Hope, Dreams, and Loss Theme Icon
...as they make their way to the locker room. Once there, though, Junior starts crying. Coach tells him and the rest of the team that it’s natural to cry when you... (full context)
Identity, Belonging, and Coming-of-Age Theme Icon
Racism, Poverty, and Alcoholism Theme Icon
Hope, Dreams, and Loss Theme Icon
As soon as Coach sends Junior into the game, someone in the crowd throws a quarter at him, cutting... (full context)
Identity, Belonging, and Coming-of-Age Theme Icon
Hope, Dreams, and Loss Theme Icon
Drawing, Writing, and Junior’s Cartoons Theme Icon
Late that night, Coach visits Junior in the hospital, apologizing for the way the game turned out and applauding... (full context)
Chapter 25 - In Like a Lion
Identity, Belonging, and Coming-of-Age Theme Icon
Hope, Dreams, and Loss Theme Icon
...an unexpected star on Reardan’s basketball team. The high expectations and encouragement he gets from Coach and from his teammates drive him to become even better, and though he’s still too... (full context)
Identity, Belonging, and Coming-of-Age Theme Icon
Overlapping Opposites Theme Icon
Racism, Poverty, and Alcoholism Theme Icon
Hope, Dreams, and Loss Theme Icon
Coach assigns Junior—the team’s “secret weapon”—to guard Rowdy throughout the game. Junior isn’t sure he can... (full context)