Poverty, something many families experience.

  Poverty is something many families experience. Poverty often leads to substance abuse and family dysfunction. In Sherman Alexie’s The Absolute Story of a Part-Time Indian, Junior and Rowdy’s families are perfect examples. Both of their fathers are drunkards. Rowdy’s father is a mean drunkard who beats his wife and son. Junior’s father is a drunkard who leaves for weeks at a time, and gambles away gas money needed to drive Junior to school. Sometimes the only thing these families have to eat for dinner is sleep. When I was younger I have also experienced some of these things. As I grew older I knew this is not how I wanted to live the rest of my life. I learned from my parents mistakes.