Revealing Poverty

John
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part–Time Indian
5.19.13

Arnold's poor financial state was not revealed to his friends. In fact, he tried to reveal the opposite of what he actually had, and struggled through getting enough money everyday from his parents so that he could continue his lie. However, when Penelope, Roger, and others decided to head to a diner for pancakes, Arnold was put on the spot again, having the need to pay for something big when actually having very little. Though Roger helped him out, he discovered his secret later on: he was poor. Yet Arnold then realized that people could help when him when he let them in closer, rather than shove them away with lies.

He was worried at first that his secret would spread around at the school, as Roger was the popular one.   However, when Penelope talked to Arnold about his poverty, she showed nothing but sadness and sympathy for him. Roger did the same thing too; he drove Arnold home many times after that night to prevent the hitchhiking. This is when Arnold realized his mistake. The more honest he was with people, the closer he became with them and helped with friendship: "If you let people into your life a little bit, they can be pretty damn amazing (p. 129)." After keeping a major secret to himself, which caused much anxiety and pressure, he noticed that when he released it, not only did it take a big weight off of his shoulders, but also that he was receiving more help and love. At this point, he really could not have asked more than that.