Post 8
Chuckles J
Much of the content in this novel can be regarded as
serious and thought-provoking. As you’re
reading, are there episodes that bring a smile to your face, or even make you
laugh out loud? Cite two examples (and page references!) and
explain why / how they tickle your funny bone.
Finally, what do these incidents add to our understanding of Junior, his
culture, and the novel as a whole?
There are several very humorous examples in the book that made me laugh. The first example is actually an illustration on page 5. The self-portrait shows that Junior does not have very high self-confidence and also that he can laugh at himself. As teenagers, I think every one of us has felt the same about ourselves as Junior does in his picture. This example helps us to realize that Junior has low self-esteem and likes to bring himself down. Another example of humor is on page 96-97. Gordy tells Junior that “you should also read and draw because really good books and cartoons give you a boner.” I found this rather weird, but also funny. This helps us remember that Junior and Gordy are teenage boys. Another example of humor is on page 31 when Junior throws the book at Mr. P. I thought this was funny because if it had really occurred in a real classroom we would have all laughed even though we knew it was horribly bad. This also tells us that the school and the tribe are so poor that they are using ancient books. These examples help us get an understanding of Junior’s thoughts, feelings and life-style.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, there were many details that I found humorous. The cartoon of Mr. P (29) is the first thing in the book that made me laugh. I loved the description and odd appearance of his teacher depicted by Junior. The nose and the fact that Mr. P occasionally forgets to show up for school (28-29)were my two favorite details. Another example is the drawing of Penelope's father (109). Junior obviously does not respect him, but he is not very fond of Junior either. Penelope's father is very racist, too. Therefore, he did not like Junior very much, so the cartoon Junior drew is kind of rude but at the same time humorous. I believe the drawing of Mr. P tells that Junior is a bit disappointed about the teachers that are hired to teach the children in the rez. Also, the drawing of Penelope's father shows that although he does not disrespect adults to their faces, even if they are extremely racist, he does not respect them inside his own head, so he drew this to show how he actually sees Penelope's father. In conclusion, although they are funny at first, the examples given have deeper meanings about Junior's feelings about his culture and other people.
ReplyDeleteAlthough some of the information in this novel is more on the depressing side, Alexie does a great job of lightening the mood by adding humorous events or cartoons that make the gloomy moments a whole lot easier to read, not to mention more enjoyable. Throughout the book, many events occur that I found to be quite amusing. One example of comedy in this book was when Junior talked about “The Unofficial and Unwritten Spokane Indian Rules of Fistfights.” (61). It was funny to me because the rules were so absurd and ridiculous that I couldn’t help but laugh at the fact that they actually followed them. On the other hand, the fact that the Indians on the rez got into so many fistfights that it was considered a normal occurrence really shows the type of culture he was raised into. He was brought up to think that physical fighting was the only way to solve conflicts in life. Junior believed that instead of resolving tough situations with communication and understanding, he had to use the only things he was taught as a child: violence and anger. Another example of humor in this novel is during a particularly sad moment when Junior finds out that Penelope is bulimic (106). After this discovery, Junior compares her to his father by drawing a cartoon of his dad claiming “I’m only an alcoholic when I get drunk.” (107). I found this drawing funny because of the illogical nature of the phrase and how it doesn’t make any sense. This illustration, although funny, tells a lot about his father’s battle with addiction and how he is living in constant denial. We find out later in the book that most Indians who live on the rez grow up to be raging alcoholics, and it made me wonder if Junior was someday going to succumb to the influence of alcohol and follow in his father’s footsteps. The funny episodes that Alexie works into the book really make the it more entertaining to read and help the reader to more completely understand Juniors culture, personality, and outlooks on life.
ReplyDeleteThere were several times I laughed while reading The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. The first episode I found humorous was when Mr. P came to visit Junior (33-35). Junior was nervous and confused, and didn’t know why Mr. P was there. Like any student who had broken their teacher’s nose, Junior thought he was there for revenge (33). Junior didn’t like that he was there or understand why a teacher was at his house because it had never happened before. I thought this was funny because when a teacher wants to talk to you, it usually means you’re in trouble, and Junior was already suspended. I know I would have been suspicious too, and I thought it was funny because many teenagers can relate to that fear. Another episode I found humorous happened between Mr. Dodge, Junior, and Gordy (84-86). Teachers hardly ever appreciate when they’re corrected or talked back to and that’s exactly what Junior did. I especially found the comic on page eighty-five very funny because of how mad Mr. Dodge got. Also, the fact that Junior was correct, according to Gordy, made the incident even funnier. I think that we can learn several things from each experience about Junior, his culture, and the book. With Mr. P, we are reminded of Junior’s paranoia from the bullying he received growing up. We see that Junior lives in a place where he doesn’t feel safe even talking to teachers. With Mr. Dodge, we can see the difference between the scared Junior, and the new, bold Junior who corrects his teacher. You also get a new perspective of how racist everyone is at Reardan. Just because Junior was Indian, Mr. Dodge didn’t believe him, but because Gordy was white, Mr. Dodge did believe him. Besides the negative, deeper meaning of each situation, these are two examples from the book that made me laugh.
ReplyDeleteThere were many parts of the novel that I found to be very humorous. One moment that made me laugh was the cartoon for the possible answers to the question, “Are You Poor?” I am not really sure why but the option three saying, “Pore? You mean, do I have pores? Yes I have many” just made me laugh for some reason (128). I could just hear him saying that in a mysterious voice. The other moment that made me laugh was when Gordy said you should get a boner from books (98). It was quite possibly the weirdest thing I had ever heard in my life. Then I read the comic and just burst out laughing again. It was funny when later on Gordy told Arnold that he did not mean a boner in the physical sense but a metaphorical boner meaning that you should just get excited when reading good books because of all the things you can learn. Those are just two of the many times when I laughed at something said in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read a book, I expect to at least at one point laugh. With this book, I was not let down. To start off, I would like to talk about an event that happens on pages 106-107. This event is when Junior finds Penelope throwing up in the girl’s bathroom. I know this shouldn’t be funny, and it isn’t at funny at first, but then Junior starts adding some figures of speech like “She smells like somebody vomited on a big old cinnamon tree.” But I really started to laugh when Junior asks what the difference between bulimics and anorexics is, and Penelope’s response is “I’m only bulimic when I’m throwing up.” And then, Junior compares her to his dad! The comic was just too good for words, and made me laugh so hard inside! This is one of the instances I laughed while reading the book. Another time the book brought a smile to my face was on page 103, when Arnold went to take Rowdy the drawing he made of them, but his father opened the door instead. And what Rowdy’s father said when he saw the drawing put me into hysterics! “You’re kind of gay. Aren’t you?” I know that is slightly offensive to some, but in my mind, picturing a drunken man saying that the lissssppping stststuttering boy is just pretty funny. Both of these incidents add a great deal to our understanding of Junior, for in the second one I mentioned, Junior’s reaction stunned me. It really showed how he felt about Rowdy’s dad, and how he wishes Rowdy had better. The first incident shows that Junior is sometimes concerned about others, not only himself. This really doesn’t add to our understanding of his culture, or the novel, just who he really is inside. These were some instances in the book that I found funny and enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteThough most of this book was deep, thoughtful, and even depressing, there were some parts of the book that were amusing. One such episode was near the beginning of the book, when he hurled a geometry book at Mr. P's face(31). It was horrible that he did so, but just the idea of sitting in a class and watching a student whip a book at the teacher is a horrifying, but strangely hilarious. Once Mr. P told Arnold that he doesn't blame him, I felt better about laughing. Many of the comics in this book were funny, as well. I can honestly say I never laughed out loud at any of them, but many of them were funny. One I found amusing was the sketch of his predicament at a diner. Penelope wanted pancakes and Arnold had only 5 dollars, so he may have had to admit that he is poor. So he drew a sketch of “the pancakes of doom”, the “butter of shame”, and the “syrup of regret”(124). How he put a funny spin on a unfortunate thing was hilarious. Though most of this book was depressing and unfortunate, some of the episodes in the book gave me a laugh, and they really lightened the book up and made it less dark.
ReplyDeleteArnold is a hilarious character not only with his drawings, but also with what he says and his thoughts. One thing that made me laugh was when Penelope actually liked his dad’s old suit which he wore to the dance. I thought that she would hate it. It seemed like an ugly suit, but she loved it. (122) I also thought it was funny when Arnold went over to Rowdy’s, and Rowdy totally blew him off. Arnold saw him in his window, but his dad said he wasn’t home. (103) Arnold made me laugh when he drew the drawing of Earl. He drew him as an ugly slug with a trail of slime behind him. (109) Earl was very rude to Arnold, and they have very bad impressions of each other. Arnold has some very funny comics throughout the book. My favorite comic that made me laugh was the one on page (88). Arnold shows all the different ways he gets to school. Another one of my favorite drawings in the book is the one on page (19). It shows a chicken dancer compared to a chicken. They actually look alike, with their beady eyes, and their big bellies. My last favorite drawing was the self portrait of Arnold (5). He draws himself so cruelly. He’s scrawny, stuttering, and his feet are twisted weirdly.
ReplyDeleteIn this book there is lots of content that I thought was funny. One of the two episodes that I thought was funny was when Reardan played Wellpinit for the second time. It was fun to read how Junior jumped higher than Rowdy and stole the ball from him when he was going for a dunk. I liked reading how Reardan beat the undefeated Wellpinit by a lot of points (179-196). Overall, that episode was my favorite in the whole book. The second episode that I liked was when Junior threw the math book at Mr. P. It was awesome to read about how Junior threw it at Mr. P and how Junior got suspended for it (25-31). This episode was my second favorite. These incidents show us that Junior can do some pretty crazy stuff for just a little guy.
ReplyDeleteOne of the many things I laughed at in this book was how Junior had to where his dad's old rust-colored polyester, 1970's suit. He thought everyone was going to make fun of him, but when Penelope saw him she fell in love with the suit. This resulted in a quite weird twist of fate because everyone from there on out seemed to like it, or no one said anything about how they really felt about it(121-123). Another time I laughed was how after Junior said one of Vince Lombardi's most famous quotes, "It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game." Coach said "No, but I like that one, but Lombardi didn't mean it. Of course, it's better to win."(148) Those where two of the many things I laughed at throughout this book.
ReplyDeleteSome of the things in this book that made me laugh were some of the drawings done by Junior to show what was going on. For example, the one on page 121 that describes Junior in his dad’s old 1970’s suit while he is at the dance. As well as the one on page 36, where it shows Junior as a priest while Mr. P told him why he deserved to have that book thrown at him. Something in the book that made me laugh besides the drawings was actually, the unofficial and unwritten Spokane Indian rules of fisticuffs on page 61 and 62.Those rules were funny, but also confused me because of the way they were written. There are so many exceptions to each of these rules that they made rules to cover the exceptions. This didn’t help me understand them either way. Throughout the book I was laughing at different parts, and these are some of the things I was laughing at while reading it.
ReplyDeletePut simply, Arnold is a funny kid. What he does, how he does it; what he says, and how he says it are all things that contribute to his hilariousness. I'm not saying I find it amusing that he has a stutter or a lisp, but I'm saying that he simply has a different way of talking than other people. Maybe this is because he is an Indian, but maybe it's just because he's Arnold. The comics he draws are very amusing. The "Are you poor?" possible responses made me laugh (Page 128). I think Arnold has a nice sense of humor. Also, the comic Arnold drew after his father's friend was shot and killed made me laugh out loud. I shall keep in mind "How to Get the Last Sip of Wine from the Bottom of the Bottle" for when I'm twenty one or older (Page 170). Another part of the book that made me laugh was when he got hit in the forehead with a quarter and needed three stitches. I know it's not a good thing to laugh at other people's pain, but he needed three stitches! It surprised me that a quarter could do that much damage (Page 145-146). When Arnold was at his second game against his old school, and the camera people interviewed him, he answered the questions mostly with the word "weird". I thought this was funny because he really seemed to be annoying the guy who was interviewing him (Pages 183-185). The time that Arnold heard Penelope throwing up in the girl's restroom was funny because of the sounds he said she was making. "ARGGGHHHHHHHHSGHHSLLLSKSSSHHSDKFDJSABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ!" I don't think anyone makes that noise when they throw up (Page 106). When Arnold talks about "THE UNOFFICIAL AND UNWRITTEN (but you better follow them or you're going to get beaten twice as hard) SPOKANE INDIAN RULES OF FISTCUFFS", it"s crazy how easily someone can get into a fistfight if they follow these rules. I think that this part of the book wasn't so much as funny, but rather just plain ridiculous, and I think if something is ridiculous enough, it becomes funny (Page 61-62). Arnold's sense of humor and his comics help us to understand his life and his lifestyle. Along with all these parts of the book, I found many other parts of the book funny. Overall, the book has a lot of amusing parts in it.
ReplyDeleteI found The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian very humorous and tragic. It is done in a way that makes you want to cry and laugh at the same time. The first thing that made me laugh out loud was at Grandmother Spirit's funeral when billionaire Ted got up and told his sap story and Junior's mother said Grandmother's Spirit wasn't a powwow danceer (165). I was so amused by that in my mind I yelled rejected, which made me laugh even more. Although the entire book is very funny, only one other part sticks out in my memory; when Junior laughs like a madman after he finds out about his sister's death. One part in particular tickled my funny bone, the part that said "I laughed the whole way. Well, I laughed until we were about half way home, and then I fell asleep." (206). It was even funnier because I could see myself doing something like that, laughing my head off one minute and fast asleep the next. Although the book was very dark and depressing it did not seem so because of the humorous reactions and funny cartoons.
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