Society is cutthroat. It's a deadly community where people fight every day to be themselves while trying to stay in the group. Sherman Alexie describes this in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by showing what being an individual in a community means to an individual and how it can affect our daily lives. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The struggle to remain an individual is described several times throughout the book. For example, when Junior first decides to change schools, stating, “I want to go to Rearden,” I repeated. I couldn't believe I was saying that. To me it seemed as real as saying, “I want to fly to the moon” (45). At this point in the book, being an individual is clearly demonstrated, but it took Junior a long time to get there. Leaving his entire family and best friend Rowdy is an extremely difficult decision because no one has left the reservation before and going to an all-white school as a disabled Indian could stack the odds even further against him. Nonetheless, Junior sticks to his decision, showing a clear portrayal of being an individual and its struggles. Junior knows the immense backlash he will receive if he leaves, but he continues with the decision he made because he knows that ultimately it will benefit him and his education and that adds more to his individuality. Peer pressure and the comforting feeling of staying with the rest of the crowd is also a major theme in this novel. For example, when Junior thinks back to a memory he and Rowdy shared, he says, "It wasn't really up for debate." I had to climb the tree with him. I couldn't go back. That wasn’t how our friendship worked” (225). It wasn't Junior's idea to climb the tree, but he did it anyway because he knew Rowdy would make fun of him if he didn't. Peer pressure is a great example of community, and that's exactly what happens in the book. Junior felt like he had to do something he didn't really want to do to stay in this "community" and this further shows the pressures of society. Going against authority to get a point across is a huge step in being an individual. A good example is when Gordy stands up to a teacher for Junior. Alexie writes: “He stood with his textbook and dropped it. Whomp! He looked so strong. He looked like a warrior” (175). Gordy dropped his textbook to show that he is on Junior's side. Gordy stood up to his community, which took a lot of courage and shows an individual. His decision to go against his teacher is a big part of the individual versus the community. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Overall, Junior's struggles in high school are a representation of people's daily struggles to remain an individual in a community. Society is extremely brutal and sometimes it seems more important to try to fit in, but in reality, individuality is just as beautiful. There are constant examples of individuals versus communities in our daily lives, think twice before making a decision next time..