Leaders.

In this blog post I will discuss the leadership properties of two characters from The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. The first poem is Arnold Spirit and the second Penelope.

Where I’m From

by Arnold Spirit (a.k.a. me)

I am from Jack Daniels

 and cold, and old housing.

I am from green forests with no horizons

 and branches so thick even an eagle couldn’t see through them.

I am from Thanksgivings with family, and friends,

 and from drinking and gambling.

 I am from my Mother and Father

 which are the twin suns around which I orbit,

 from Adams, my mother's maiden name,

 from Spirit my father's last name.

I am from no hope and extreme hunger,

from cartoons from which the world can hear my voice,

but cartoons will never take the place of food or money.

 I am from basketball and almost no friends,

 from popular who are to scared to let their feelings out.

I am from God and Warriors

two important things in my life that keep me going and slow me down.

I am from Spokane,

from Washington,

from America.

 I am from fry bread and holy Kentucky Fried Chicken.

 I am from saxophone players that would’ve been something if they got the chance,

 the truth of what we Native Americans are destined to become,

and from my mother's photographic memory.

I am from powwows with chickens,

my favorite,

 from schools with 30-year-old textbooks with our parents’ names on them,

 I even through it at a teacher (a good one too),

 and from postcards from Montana with RV’s on the front.

This is where I’m from

 and it is where I will leave on a journey to something.

Leadership Properties: Junior is a good leader because he knows how to influence people and allow them to feel empathy for him so that they become friends. He can also make people feel good about themselves.

Where I’m From

by Penelope (a.k.a. me)

I’m from Gap,

 from pine trees

 with many brothers and sisters happily living out their lives in peace.

 I’m from being pretty, smart, and popular,

 and being scared all the time because of it.

I’m from Earl,

 from racism,

 from neglect.

 I’m from Indians are bad,

 and don’t let your feelings show.

  I am from Christianity,

 the town religion, of which I believe.

 I’m from racist Reardan

where we like whites.

 I’m from pork and steak,

from fathers hiding in plain sight,

 and farming tools.

But most of all I’m from a town with people that are so wrapped up in community they forget about the individual.

Leadership Properties: Penelope is a good leader because she knows how to influence people in many different ways. She can also sway opinions which is good if she wants to be a leader because goo leaders need to know how to make convincing points that influence other people.