Steve Howard
English 3 B
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie is a great memoir. In some people's eyes the author might be blaming other people or trying to be a victim, but instead he is telling an amazing story about his past and the bone crushing reality that is his people. Sherman Alexie finds a way to not only talk about his sorrows but how they shaped him and led him to new places. Alexie wants his readers to be able to take away that no matter what situation you're in you can always find a way out and find a way to a better future. In Alexie's memoir he finds a way to create a well constructed story out of a unconstructed life. He uses both art and craft to tie his interesting life together in a way where the readers can feel pain but still learn lessons and morals. In the end, Sherman Alexie wrote a fantastic memoir that gave readers a real and absolutely true look inside his life and what kind of reality he faced as a kid. Even though some parts showed themselves as tragic and sad, each event or moment shaped Alexie into the person he is today.
You do a good job referring to criteria that Zinsser brought up as you explore Alexie's "memoir." You need a clearer, more specific thesis, and the argument needs to be more carefully organized and developed with even more evidence to fully persuade the reader.
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