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.