How Junior Inspired Me to See the World by Emily

How Junior Inspired Me to See the World by Emily - April 2014 Scholarship Essay

The book character that has influenced me the most is Arnold Spirit or "Junior" as he calls himself. Arnold takes control of his own environment and changes his life for the better in a wonderful book written by Sherman Alexie, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian. Junior inspired me to look at people in a different way and to not live up to my own stereotypes.

Arnold Spirit is a Freshman in High School and has never ventured outside of the Indian Reservation where he has lived his whole life. Arnold's family is very poor, like most people on the reservation, and his father is an alcoholic. His school has very little money and Arnold is bullied for not being tough enough, as many of the kids that attend his school are extremely violent, especially his best friend, Rowdy.

One day Arnold's teacher makes him realize that everyone on the reservation has given up on life and have accepted their lives and environment. He tells Arnold that he is the only one left with hope and in order to maintain that hope, he has to leave the reservation and go to the "white kid school," Reardan High School. Arnold knows he is right. You see, Arnold wants to become an artist and knows that getting off the reservation is the only way to reach his goals.

Arnold has a hard time at his new school at first, but he eventually makes friends at Reardan and changes the atmosphere of the school. Arnold learns that everyone has their own problems and that he was stereotyping others just as much as they were stereotyping him. These are also the lessons that Arnold taught me and I have been greatly influenced by his story. He showed me that you never really know someone until you talk to them and there are so many people and places on earth to meet and see.

This book inspired me to pursue International Studies in the future so that I can truly get to know different people around the world. I want to take control of my own life and situation, I want to travel and learn new languages, anything that will allow me to learn about the world and the people on it. Like Arnold says, “If you let people into your life a little bit, they can be pretty amazing.”