Adolescents face many opportunities for self-discovery and growth. Adolescence is probably the most difficult time in life, as everyone searches for their true self, their hopes and dreams, and their true friends. Teenagers will meet new people and go to new places in search of what makes them happy and what they are good at. Junior, a young boy in Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, embarks on a journey that depicts many struggles and conflicts with himself as he faces a new school, to poverty and racism. Her journey of identification and navigation through the obstacles presented demonstrates not that a person's true identity is limited to race and ethnicity, but rather everything that defines their character. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay. For example, take Junior's identity crisis that followed his arrival at Reardan. He describes this: “[He felt] half Indian in one place and half white in the other” (Alexie 118). The reason for his inner turmoil was that he could not definitively classify himself as a full-time Indian; he could not summarize all of his experiences and values ​​if he had only labeled himself as one or the other. Junior's conflict between his "Indian" version and his "white" version illustrates that he feels as if he is both, due to his exposure to both cultures and circumstances. His daily life has led him to adapt to and understand both sides. The title of the book, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, also suggests that "part-time" means that his identity was also influenced by his white peers and experiences, but not entirely white. The importance of this proves that a person's identity is not limited to race. Exposure to a different culture and one's own role in a different community contribute to one's identity – which cannot be explained simply as "Indian" or "White." From the first day at Reardan until the end of the book, there are some pretty interesting things. character development among Junior's peers. Initially, they had been sarcastic and openly racist. Junior himself also displayed prejudice as a defense. Much to the audience's surprise, they managed to find common ground despite their cultural differences and apathy. If identity was really just a matter of ethnicity, his peers wouldn't have tried to find out who he really was, look from the sidelines. The wall of contempt would not have fallen and they would not have had the opportunity to learn more about him. When Junior befriended Gordy and told him, “I was an Indian kid…I was alone, sad, isolated, and terrified, just like Gordy” (94). The beginning of their friendship is very symbolic; Junior made his first friend in Reardan and found himself connected to someone who is supposed to be so different from him. They looked past their differences and cared about their similarities in character. Upon Junior's arrival in Reardan, his true identity is also called into question by his two names. The different names used at Reardan and the one used on the reservation demonstrate how his names also represent his identity. When Penelope accused him of lying about his own name, he said, “Well, okay. It wasn't quite my name. My full name is…no one calls me that. Everyone calls me Junior. Well, all the other Indians call me Junior” (60). He.