셔먼 알렉시의 청소년 소설: 미국 원주민 트랜스 내셔널리즘의 위태로운 여정

A Perilous Journey of Native American Transnationalism in Sherman Alexie’s Young Adult Fiction.

This paper attempts to analyze Sherman Alexie’s two young adult novels, Flight (2007) and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian (2007) in the context of Native American transnationalism. In particular, it draws attention to the ways in which Alexie foregrounds the issue of Native American youth education in order to offer a rationale for his vision of Native American transnationalism. In these two works, Alexie critiques how the tendency to cling to the authentic Native American identity, reservations, and tribal nations’ sovereignty not only hinders the progress of Indigenous societies but also leaves their children and adolescents exposed to life-threatening danger while failing to provide them with an education relevant to the present. Flight articulates Alexie’s vision of Native American transnationalism and justifies it through the imperative of saving children. However, it leaves the contradictions and dangers of Native American transnationalism unresolved. In comparison, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian explores the potential risk of being co-opted by American nationalism, warning against the loss of connection to tribal identity.