Family

One of the strongest parallels I see between my experiences and those in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian are close-knit families. In True Diary both of Junior’s parents live within five miles of where they were born. My family may not be as close as that, but all of my aunts, uncles, grandparents and cousins (except for two) live in Illinois. My dad grew up in Illinois, and my mom in Indiana. My family and Junior’s family both stick together in their own ways. It seems that Junior’s family is almost stuck to the reservation, my family doesn’t seem like that; it’s more that we gravitate to each other by nature. These close knit families are extremely important. Most of the people I know have family in other states and even countries. Having your family close to you creates a support network that is hard to break. This is what keeps Junior going in the book when he is grieving. Without a close family and friends, he would not have been able to recover properly. I have not needed to rely heavily on my family for support like Junior, but I know in the future it will very well happen. A close-knit family creates a support system, which you can fall back on.

Fate: Max, Bigger and Buckley

I found what Max said about Bigger during the trial to be very moving. He pointed out many of the things wrong in their society. For example, why this crime had received so much negative press and angry mobs. Max points out that the mobs and Bigger are strangers, blinded by hate. People had already assumed Bigger was guilty of murder and rape before the trial, this was mostly stemmed is racism. Max explains the problems of segregation and how blacks are oppressed, he tells the story from Bigger’s point of view, saying he didn’t kill, but theoretically lived for the first time of his life. I appreciate Max; I think he and Jan were the only ones who were honestly trying to help Bigger. They were the only ones who saw the truth. In Buckley’s testimony, he brings up the rape of Mary frequently and believes Bigger had planned the entire crime before it was committed. Both of these we know to be false. The problem is, those in the book don’t know this except for Max and Jan. The underlying racism and hints that Bigger is emotionless and sadistic were shown in the press coverage, the statements given by Buckley prior to the trial and the testimony of Buckley.  When comparing the two testimonies, Max vs. Buckley, I see a major difference between the two. Max’s testimony was rooted in hope, hope for a better society, hope for acceptance and a hope for the public to see the flaws, why this segregation and racism is helping no one and needs to stop. Buckley’s testimony does the opposite of this; his is rooted in hate and hopes to inflict this same hate and fear of Bigger into others. Buckley's prosecution is what Max was trying to dissuade the public from. Sadly, the public sees Buckley’s side of the story, as opposed to Max’s. This results in Bigger being sentenced to death.

A Principle to Keep

Carpe diem. Seize the day because today is all you have. It’s really important not to get hung up on the past or future too much. Don’t sweat the small stuff and accomplish what you can do today. You should make everyday count, it can be difficult, but if you don’t live everyday to the fullest (within reason) you’re not really living. If you don’t take risks once in a while, you could miss out on the best moments in life. Make life extraordinary. Even if you do something out of the ordinary once in a while, it will make things better. Take a leap of faith, try something new, take chances and live a life worth living.

“Time isn’t precious at all, because it is an illusion. What you perceive as precious is not time but the one point that is out of time: the Now. That is precious indeed. The more you are focused on time—past and future—the more you miss the Now, the most precious thing there is.” –Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment. This quote says how one should live in the now. If you do this, you can live the most efficient and enjoyable life you can. This is the epitome of the phrase carpe diem, if you “live in the now” you are successfully seizing the day.