The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

by Sherman Alexie

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian: Style 1 key example

Chapter 5 - Hope Against Hope
Explanation and Analysis:

The style of the novel is informal and confessional, emulating the voice of a sarcastic teen's diary. Consequential statements and questions about social justice are often hidden in off-hand comments. One example occurs in Chapter 5, when Junior describes his surprise that Mr. P forgives him for throwing a book in his face:

After I smashed him in the face, I figured Mr. P wanted to hire a hit man. Well, maybe that’s taking it too far. Mr. P didn’t want me dead, but I don’t think he would have minded if I’d been the only survivor of a plane that crashed into the Pacific Ocean.

At the very least, I thought they were going to send me to jail.