Family conflict is a common theme in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and The Cat Ate My Gymsuit, as well as in my life. Family conflict in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian arises due to the poverty, alcoholism and death. Arnold and his family are Native American, which means they live and die in poverty. As a result their lives are bleak and many turn to alcohol. Arnold’s parents and his sister are alcoholics, which causes family conflicts, as well as death. Arnold has conflicts with his family even though he has devotion towards them. For example, although he faces many problems, he cannot rely on his family to comfort and assist him. In The Cat Ate My Gymsuit, the main factor of family conflict is Marcy’s abusive father. Marcy is verbally abused on a daily basis, which results in her low self-esteem and unhappiness. Her relationship with …show more content…
However, I fight often with my sister, and have been hurt by her words. Although we have a healthy and supportive relationship, we go through many ups and downs. In addition to this, my parents are very strict when it comes to academics, which stresses me out. As a result, there are many small conflicts in my family. A second theme that resonates in both books and my life is problems at school. For Arnold, he is heavily bullied after transferring to a school outside the reservation due to his race. He is made fun of, insulted, and name called, which results in anger, sadness, and loneliness. Additionally, his science teacher looks down on his knowledge just because he is Native American. On the other hand, although Marcy is not the victim of racism, she also faces problems at school. Her favorite teacher gets fired for inexplicable reasons, which angers her because this is the same teacher who started an after school club that helped Marcy make friends for the first time. After she is fired, Marcy hates the principal and her