Race and Identity: 'The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian' and 'Monster' Makenzie Duffee College

Young Adult literature covers a wide variety of genres and subjects, covering topics that a vast majority of young adults are struggling with day to day. These novels are not limited to race or gender; however, minority characters are hard to come by and still underrepresented. It is not a secret that most protagonists represent white or white culture. But minority representation is important in today’s society because more and more teens are experiencing racism and oppression or struggles because of their race. Minority representation is important because those teens need to read strong, developing characters that are the same skin color as them and the same culture that runs deep. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and Monster are two novels that represent minority teens dealing with the struggles of identity and everyday life but in a unique way that only an African American and a Native American could understand, but easily appreciated by anyone.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian was written by Sherman Alexie in 2007 and reflects the tough decisions of a Native American teenager, Ju who lives in poverty on his reservation in Wellpinit as he moves to the nearby wealthy, white school of Rearden....