The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

On Junior’s first day of high school, he is most excited about geometry class. He also talks about how much he loves to masturbate and says he is proud of it and good at it. But while he loves “the curves of imaginary women,” he is “much more in love with the right angles of buildings” (26). Junior is also excited to try out for the basketball team with Rowdy, but he is afraid Rowdy might leave him behind (28).

Junior’s Geometry teacher, an old White man named Mr. P, sometimes forgets to come school and teaches class in his pajamas. Some of Junior’s classmates think he testified against the Mafia and is in Witness Protection, but Junior thinks he’s a lonely old man, and “lonely white people love to hang around lonelier Indians” (30). When Mr. P hands out textbooks, Junior receives one that belonged to his mother, Agnes Adams. Upon realizing he’s using a thirty-year-old textbook because his school and his tribe are so poor, Junior throws the textbook at Mr. P’s face.

Junior also introduces his older sister, Mary, who is “good at ruining things,” and after high school, moved back into the family basement where she spends all her time (27).