The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a book that is, like many others, primarily a book about a misfit. In the very first sentence the main character talks about how he was born with extra fluid in his brain and when they sucked out this fluid he was left with brain damage which gave him a stutter and a lisp; so, right at the beginning, he was marked as different from other kids. In addition to this, he has an extra large skull, that causes tormentors to call him “The Globe;” he is super skinny and had gigantic feet so, naturally, he is bullied every time he ventures outside his house.
The skinniness is probably caused not just by his metabolism, but by the fact that his family is so poor that they sometimes go a day without food. This hardship is shared by many on the First Nations Reserve where he lives, so that separates not only him, but his entire community, from the richer part of the world.
The fact that he cannot take solace in his community like the others for fear of bullying is significant in the fact that his best friend is a dog that he cannot afford to bring to a vet. The hardship of having to watch his dog die is by far the most difficult one he has had to face (up to this point).
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