The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian MCQs

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Author: Nasir Iqbal | Assistant Professor of English Literature


Updated on: November 21, 2025
Estimated Reading Time: 16 min

The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian MCQs

1. What medical condition was Arnold born with?

A. Water on the brain
B. Fluid in skull
C. Cerebral block
D. Brain damage

A. Water on brain.
Arnold was born with too much cerebrospinal fluid, which he calls the poetic term “water on the brain”.

2. What is the doctor’s fancy term for “brain grease”?

A. Thick, muddy fluid
B. Car engine oil
C. Cerebral fluid
D. Spinal cord matter

C. Cerebral fluid.
The doctors’ scientific phrase for the “brain grease” slowing down Arnold’s engine was cerebral spinal fluid.

3. How many extra teeth did Arnold have in his mouth?

A. Eight more
B. Ten more
C. Thirty-two total
D. Forty-two total

B. Ten more.
Arnold was born with forty-two teeth, meaning he had ten more teeth than a typical human being.

4. Why did Arnold get headaches often?

A. Too much drawing
B. Lopsided eyes
C. Glasses pressure
D. Brain damage

B. Lopsided eyes.
His eyes were nearsighted in one and farsighted in the other, causing them to be like enemies.
5. What letters did Arnold’s body shape resemble?

A. Capital A
B. Capital T
C. Capital L
D. Small l

C. Capital L.
With huge feet and a pencil-thin body, Arnold’s appearance was compared to the letter ‘L’ walking.

6. What did bullies call Arnold due to his large skull?

A. Pencil-head
B. Big foot
C. Orbit and Globe
D. Brainiac

C. Orbit and Globe.
Because his skull was enormous and epic, kids gave him the nicknames Orbit and Globe.

7. How often did Indian Health Service fund major dental work?

A. Monthly basis
B. Once a year
C. Twice per year
D. Never funded

B. Once a year.
Due to budget limits, the IHS would only pay for major dental procedures, like Arnold’s extractions, once a year.

8. What racist practice did the white IHS dentist employ?

A. Gave ugly glasses
B. Charged high prices
C. Used half Novocain
D. Only worked slowly

C. Used half Novocain.
The white dentist believed Indians felt less pain than white people, so he reduced the Novocain dose.

9. What did Arnold call his consistent bullying experience?

A. Retard Club
B. Black-Eye Club
C. Daily beatings
D. Violent punishment

B. Black-Eye Club.
Arnold belonged to the Black-Eye-of-the-Month Club because he got severely beaten up at least once monthly.
10. Why does Arnold draw cartoons continuously?

A. Words are too limited
B. To avoid fighting
C. He wants money
D. He seeks approval

A. Words are too limited.
Arnold feels that if he draws a picture, everyone in the world will immediately understand his meaning.

11. What is Arnold’s career goal using his art?

A. A teacher
B. Famous artist
C. Novel writer
D. Architect

B. Famous artist.
Arnold wants to be a famous, rich artist because almost all successful brown people are artists.

12. What does Arnold compare his dreams and cartoons to?

A. Tiny little lifeboats
B. Broken dams
C. Sketch pads
D. Flooded rivers

A. Tiny little lifeboats.
He believes the world is flooding, and his drawings are small rafts helping him escape the reservation.

13. What was the name of Arnold’s pet dog?

A. Rowdy
B. Oscar
C. Buddy
D. Wally

B. Oscar.
Oscar was an adopted stray mutt, whom Arnold loved and considered more dependable than humans.

14. What does Arnold say poverty only teaches?

A. How to fight
B. How to be poor
C. Perseverance
D. Hard lessons

B. How to be poor.
Arnold states that poverty doesn’t teach strength; it only teaches poorness and makes you feel worthless.
15. What terrible realization caused Arnold’s poverty shame?

A. Missing dinner
B. Dog needed help
C. Parents lied
D. Father’s drinking

B. Dog needed help.
The inability to afford the vet, causing Oscar’s death, was the worst truth about being poor.

16. What was Arnold’s mother’s unrealized dream in life?

A. Write books
B. Work at casino
C. Go to college
D. Become an artist

C. Go to college.
Arnold believes that if his mother had the chance, she would have gone to college.

17. What instrument did Arnold’s father keep clean and shiny?

A. Guitar
B. Piano
C. Saxophone
D. Hand drum

C. Saxophone.
Arnold’s father owns an old saxophone from high school, kept spotless, like he might join a band.

18. What word does Arnold use to describe his family’s cycle?

A. Ugly circle
B. Destiny’s road
C. Broken dam
D. Poor people

A. Ugly circle.
Poverty makes you think you are stùpid and ugly, leading to the belief that you are destined to be poor.

19. What physical attribute did Rowdy never hide?

A. His height
B. His wounds
C. His drinking
D. His anger

B. His wounds.
Rowdy would walk around with a split lip and black eye, calling the wounds “war paint”.
20. How did Rowdy’s father injure Rowdy’s ear?

A. A hard punch
B. Made it bigger
C. Poured beer
D. Twisted severely

B. Made it bigger.
Rowdy explained that his drunk father was angry that he wasn’t listening, so he tried to enlarge his ear.

21. What did Rowdy do in kindergarten that showed his violence?

A. A bit of a teacher
B. Fought three first graders
C. Punched his mom
D. Stole a toy

B. Fought three first graders.
Rowdy’s first fistfight involved three first graders during a snowball fight because one used ice.

22. What item did Rowdy destroy after Arnold laughed at him?

A. His coat
B. A trash bag of glass
C. A nearby minivan
D. A tent pole

C. A nearby minivan.
Rowdy got angry after tripping and laughed at, so he smashed the minivan with a shovel.

23. What did the Andruss brothers call Arnold while pushing him?

A. Retard
B. Hydro Head
C. Lisping Idiot
D. Goofy Grandpa

B. Hydro Head.
The Andruss triplets made fun of Arnold’s condition by calling him names like Hydro Head, Hydrocarbon, and Hydromatic.

24. What sacred item did Rowdy cut off the Andruss brothers?

A. Their ears
B. Their braids
C. Their hair
D. Their scalps

B. Their braids.
Rowdy cut off their braids while they were passed out, which is described as the “worst thing” to do to an Indian man.
25. What type of comic books did Rowdy secretly love to read?

A. Superhero ones
B. Goofy old ones
C. Violent comics
D. New graphic novels

B. Goofy old ones.
Rowdy enjoyed reading “goofy old ones,” such as Archie, Richie Rich, and Casper the Friendly Ghost.

26. What did Arnold realise about his geometry book in Mr P’s class?

A. It was ancient
B. It was worthless
C. His mother used it
D. It was incomplete

C. His mother used it.
The book had his mother’s maiden name, Agnes Adams, written inside the front cover.

27. What physical item did Arnold hit Mr. P with?

A. A pencil
B. The geometry book
C. A chalk eraser
D. His fist

B. The geometry book.
Arnold threw the old geometry book in anger because its age symbolised the destruction of his dreams.

28. What historical goal did Mr. P confess the old teachers had?

A. Kill the Indian
B. Save the children
C. Teach math
D. All of the above

A. Kill the Indian.
Mr. P explained that teachers were historically taught to “kill the Indian to save the child”.

29. What type of books did Arnold’s sister, Mary, secretly want to write?

A. History textbooks
B. Romance novels
C. Children’s stories
D. Poetry

B. Romance novels.
Mr. P revealed that Mary was shy about her ambition to write and wanted to write romance novels.
30. What drastic advice did Mr. P give Arnold to avoid giving up?

A. Write a book
B. Get a job
C. Leave the reservation
D. Join a club

C. Leave the reservation.
Mr. P insisted that Arnold had to leave the rez forever, otherwise they would collectively kill his spirit.

31. What word did Arnold’s parents agree had the most power?

A. Love
B. Hope
C. Money
D. Education

B. Hope.
When asked by Arnold, both parents looked at each other and agreed that “White people” had the most hope.

32. What is the name of the school Arnold transfers to?

A. Wellpinit High
B. Springdale High
C. Hunters High
D. Reardan High

D. Reardan High.
Reardan is described as the rich, white farm town school, twenty-two miles from the reservation.

33. What crime did Arnold’s father frequently get stopped for in Reardan?

A. Speeding tickets
B. Driving While Indian
C. Drunk driving
D. Vandalism

B. Driving While Indian.
Arnold’s father was stopped three times in one week for D.W.I., meaning Driving While Indian, by racist cops.

34. What was the result of the Wellpinit vs. Reardan academic competition?

A. Wellpinit won
B. Reardan won
C. Arnold lost by 49 points
D. It was a draw

C. Arnold lost by 49 points.
Arnold led the Wellpinit Academic Bowl team but lost to Reardan by a total score of 50-1.
35. How did Rowdy respond when Arnold touched his shoulder after revealing the transfer?

A. He apologised
B. He shoved him
C. He started crying
D. He hugged him

B. He shoved him.
After Arnold touched his shoulder, Rowdy yelled, “Don’t touch me,” and spun around, shoving him.

36. What item did Arnold’s father give him for lunch money?

A. Five dollars
B. A dollar
C. Two cents
D. A sandwich

B. A dollar.
Arnold’s poor father hugged him and gave him just one dollar for lunch money on his first day.

37. What physical feature of the white Reardan kids surprised Arnold?

A. Their height
B. Their clothing
C. Their translucence
D. Their strength

C. Their translucence.
Arnold noticed the white kids were so pale that he could see their blue veins running through their skin.

38. What was the Reardan school mascot?

A. A warrior
B. An Indian
C. A gorilla
D. A farmer

B. An Indian.
Arnold realised he was the only actual Indian in a racist town whose mascot was an Indian.

39. What did Arnold’s grandmother predict Roger’s peaceful reaction meant?

A. He was scared
B. He shows respect
C. He was planning
D. He was a wuss

B. He shows respect.
The grandmother compared Roger to an alpha male dog who respects Arnold for punching him back.
40. What subject did Arnold contradict Mr. Dodge about in class?

A. Human anatomy
B. History
C. Geography
D. Petrified wood

D. Petrified wood.
Arnold corrected the teacher, Mr. Dodge, explaining that petrified wood is replaced by minerals, not wood turning to rock.

41. Who confirmed Arnold’s scientific knowledge about petrified wood?

A. Mr. Dodge
B. Penelope
C. Gordy the genius
D. The coach

C. Gordy the genius.
Gordy, the class genius, immediately confirmed that Arnold was absolutely correct about the geological process.

42. What name did Arnold’s sister use for her husband?

A. Her soul mate
B. Her hubby
C. The nomad
D. The poker player

B. Her hubby.
In her email, Mary tells Arnold that she and her husband (hubby) had their honeymoon on Flathead Lake.

43. What food did Mary find served on a fancy plate at the hotel?

A. Fried chicken
B. Cranberry sauce
C. Fry bread
D. Pumpkin pie

C. Fry bread.
Mary was excited to order Indian fry bread for five dollars and eat it with a fancy fork and knife.

44. What was Arnold’s Halloween costume?

A. A writer
B. A homeless dude
C. An Indian grandpa
D. A warrior

B. A homeless dude.
Arnold wore a homeless costume, which was easy because his clothing naturally made him look half-homeless.
45. What secret did Penelope confess to Arnold in the bathroom?

A. She was lonely
B. She was bulimic
C. She was poor
D. She loved him

B. She was bulimic.
After Arnold heard her vomiting, Penelope haughtily corrected him, saying she was bulimic, not anorexic.

46. What shocking thing did Arnold realise about his sister’s marriage?

A. It was a failure
B. She was living a romance novel
C. It was unhappy
D. She hated it

B. She was living a romance novel.
Arnold suddenly realised that by marrying a travelling poker player and moving, Mary was trying to live out a romance novel.

47. How did Mary Runs Away die?

A. Drinking too much
B. She died of cancer
C. Trailer house fire
D. Car wreck

C. Trailer house fire.
Mary and her husband died when a curtain caught fire on a hot plate in their trailer.

48. What was Arnold’s grandmother’s final spoken wish before dying?

A. Forgive him
B. Don’t leave
C. Love your family
D. Stay Indian

A. Forgive him.
The surgeon told Arnold’s father that the grandmother’s last words were “Forgive him,” referring to the drunk driver.

49. How did Arnold’s coach react to his pre-game vomiting?

A. He disciplined him
B. Called him a yucker
C. Made him run laps
D. Called him weak

B. Called him a yucker.
The coach said there was nothing wrong with being a “yucker” and that some people need to clear the pipes.
50. What final activity do Arnold and Rowdy share near the end?

A. Share secrets
B. Read comics
C. Play until dark
D. Fight one last time

C. Play until dark.
Rowdy and Arnold ended their reunion by shooting hoops and playing one-on-one until the moon was huge and golden.

Brief Overview

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a young adult novel by Sherman Alexie, published in 2007. It is a powerful story about identity, race, poverty, and hope for a young man caught between two drastically different worlds.

The novel is about Arnold Spirit, Jr., who lives on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Arnold, or Junior, was born with brain damage, causing physical problems. He is very skinny, has a huge head, and struggles with a stutter and a lisp.

He is often bullied and called names, belonging to the “Black-Eye-of-the-Month Club.” He loves drawing cartoons to express himself and dreams of leaving the reservation. Arnold realizes the depth of his family’s poverty when he cannot afford to take his sick dog, Oscar, to the vet.

Arnold decides to leave the impoverished reservation school, Wellpinit High, to attend the affluent, predominantly white school, Reardan, twenty-two miles away. He finds a geometry book at Wellpinit that his mother used thirty years earlier.

Arnold throws the book in anger, accidentally hitting his teacher, Mr. P, in the face. Mr. P tells Arnold he must leave the reservation forever to find hope and not give up. His best friend, Rowdy, is furious and views him as a traitor, becoming his “worst enemy.”

Arnold struggles to fit in at Reardan, where he is the only Indian. He becomes friends with the class genius, Gordy, and starts dating a pretty white girl named Penelope.

Arnold faces tragedy when a drunk driver kills his grandmother. Later, his sister, Mary, dies in a trailer fire because she was too drunk to wake up. This heavy loss makes Arnold sad and angry. Eventually, he realizes he belongs to many “tríbes” beyond his reservation. Arnold and Rowdy later play basketball, beginning to mend their friendship.

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