Tyler Soule 1/23/14 ENG 413 In the two block radius of Gallagher and Hess in Buena Vista Township

in Saginaw, my home sits between my brothers and my aunts with an uncle across the street, a passed away uncles trailer around the corner, and cousinsso many cousins. This isnt a tight knit group by any means, the families are split by last names, divorces, past beefs, unwarranted jail time, etc. There is this strange self-perpetuating dysfunction that has manifested itself in what I will refer to as the ODell/Soule enclave, and this manifestation is precipitated on not only portrayal of self, but the reaction to these portrayals. Lansing is the farthest a member of this group has made it from these two blocks, and some may see me as a sellout, whereas others really have no idea how college works and Im pretty sure they think Im going to be a millionaire when its all said and done. The key point being here is, everyone has a story to express. This expression may be conveyed orally, written, sung, drawn, or a number of other communication methods. Each of these formats brings a different audienceand with each audience comes a specific form of critics. Perception of the reader and intention of the creator are the two driving forces in this relationship between the two. In the novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, the main character Arthur/Jr. not only finds out more about his individual self, he too finds a greater understanding of his audience, their perception of his story (self), and their reluctance/willingness to accept this self-discovery. This identity juggling is shown through multiple facets of Absolutely True Diary, beginning with the name Arnold/Jr. What Jr. learns during his first day at his newpredominantly whiteschool on the border of the reservation is that Junior (what hed been called his entire life) is that Jr. is seen as a weird

name in his new school. Narratively, what is a popularand commonname in his old setting, is now seen as out of the ordinary. My name is Junior. And my name is Arnold. Its Junior and Arnold. Im both. (60). This goes back to the idea of perception and intention and the relationship between the two. As the author of his narrative talehis diaryArnold finds himself as editor and edited. His reactions/feelings and subsequently the way he identifies are all affected by the perception of the audience he is catering to. Rowdy is another character whose vision of Arnold/Jr. has a weight on his story/identity. Beginning the story as a big brother type protector, a best friend of Arnold, Rowdy has a tough exterior shell but Arnold knows that he is loved by Rowdy. When Arnold transfers schools, Rowdy cant process it and Arnolds growth is not perceived by Rowdy to be a positive evolution. It isnt until the end of the novel when Rowdy reads about nomads and reassesses his friend. Youre an old time nomad, Rowdy said. Youre going to keep moving all over the world in search of food and water and grazing land. Thats pretty cool. (230). at this moment, Arnolds story is able to come full circle. He now recognizes those around him and more importantly himselfas unique beings with unique stories that interact, operate, and evolve together. By recognizing Arnold/Jr. as a nomad, it changes the perception he has of Arnoldas well as his story. Ultimately, this is the power of the relationship between teller and audience, as well as reader and writer. In the end of the story Arnold recognizes himself as part of multiple cultures and tribes, and the intention of his story changes. He is no longer part of a singular existence, but instead a multifaceted one that we are able as the reader to watch him manufacture himself. Instead of only recognizing himself as part of the reservation, or Indian, Arnold grows far past the slurs we see him identified as early in the novel that cause him to fight a classmate. Arnold uses multiple tools to develop his story. Just as the story uses art to convey Arnold, Arnold as a character uses art and reading to

express himself. He then uses this repertoirewhich eventually includes basketball to make connections to people outside of his original circle. By the end of the story, Arnold has a larger audience than he would have if he would have stayed an arsenal character. This is true for both Arnold as a character, and Alexie as an authoras this is semi-autobiographical. Alexie (as well as Arnolds) connection to both reading and writing (as well as other outlets) as complementary forms broaden their intentions as writers, and in doing so enhance and increase the perception of their audiencein both a literal and narrative sense.