ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART TIME INDIAN ~ SHERMAN ALEXIE

Chapter Study - #4 Because Geometry is Not a Country Somewhere Near France

pages 25-31

CONTEXT INFO
❏ The Spokane Tribe of Indians are of the Interior Salish Group, which has inhabited northeast Washington,
northern Idaho and western Montana for many centuries.The Spokane Tribe of Indians and the Spokane
Tribal Headquarters is now located in Wellpinit, Washington. Wellpinit is approximately 50 miles
northwest of Spokane, Washington on the Spokane Indian Reservation. (www.spokanetribe.com)

VOCABULARY WORDS
Word / Term Definition

hormonal

ambidextrous

varsity

coot

decrepit

KEY EVENTS
page Event
25

25

26

26 and 27

28

30

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LITERARY TERMS & DEVICES
Device page example

Euphemism 25

Magic 3 26

Metaphor 26

Metaphor / 26
Euphemism

Metaphor 26

Magic 3 28

Metaphor / 28
Hyperbole

Simile 30

Simile/Allusion 30

Allussion 30

Magic 3 31

Metaphor / 31
Hyperbole

Graphic 31

CHARACTER INFO
Character Detail

Junior

Mary

Rowdy

Mr. P

Junior’s Mother

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THEME INFO AND SYMBOLS
ANSWER THE QUESTIONS BY EXPLAINING YOUR OPINION USING SPECIFIC DETAILS FROM THE TEXT TO
SUPPORT YOUR POINT OF VIEW. INCLUDE PAGE NUMBERS WITH YOUR TEXT REFERENCES.

1. What is Junior’s attitude towards his sister?

2. Combined with Junior’s descriptions of his parents from earlier chapters, how would you
describe Junior’s view of his family? What proof do you have from the text to back up your answer?

3. Why do you think the author and illustrator chose to end the chapter the way they did?

4. Choose one of these two questions:

(a) Why was Junior so upset about seeing his mom’s name in his geometry textbook?

OR

(b) What do Junior’s descriptions of the people who come to teach on the reserve seem to suggest
about the relationship between the members of the Spokane tribe and the non-Native people
who are also living and working on the Reservation?

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