The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Symbolism, Imagery & Allegory

Junior's poor little dog Oscar is shot by his father in the book's tearjerker of a second chapter. The death of the animal, who is a complete innocent, becomes a symbol for the senseless destructio...

Chicken is very important to Arnold, since he's almost always hungry. Food – and money – is scarce on the reservation. While KFC might seem like fast food to some, the treat amounts to a holy e...

Arnold finds his mother's name written inside of a geometry book and throws the book straight at his teacher Mr. P (4.52-4.58). The book stands for the systemic poverty on the reservation and the w...

Arnold's experiences with basketball become a testament to the power of positive thinking. At Wellpinit, Arnold was nothing more than an average player; however, by the end of the novel, he has bec...

Turtle Lake is a beautiful destination on the reservation where Rowdy and Arnold head to swim when they are around age ten (Chapter 30). Sounds good to us, but what is up with the story of Stupid H...

Rowdy and Arnold encounter a giant beautiful pine tree on their walk to Turtle Lake, and they decide to climb it. Once at the top of the tree, they can see everything: the whole reservation. The ac...