“I will never act like my mother!” These words are increasingly common and yet inevitable. Why is it that as children we are able to point out every flaw in our parents, but when we grow up we recognize that we are repeating the same mistakes we observed? The answer is generational curses: unpurified iniquities that increase in strength from one generation to the next, affecting members of that family and all who come into relationship with that family (Hickey 13). Marilyn Hickey, a Christian author, explains how this cycle rooted in the Bible never ends when she says, “Each generation adds to the general iniquity, further weakening the next generation's resistance to sin” (21, 22). In other words, if your parents make mistakes, you are now susceptible to making the same mistakes and will most likely pass those mistakes on to your children. In The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Sherman Alexie shows the beauty of hope in the presence of a generational curse. Even though the elders are the ones producing the curses, they are also the ones trying to break Junior from their bond-forming mistakes. The curses that Arnold's elders place on him lead him to break his cultural ties and better himself as a developing youth. P gives Arnold the Curse of Despair, which inspires him to free himself from the bonds of his ancestors. Even though his students see him as useless, Mr. P is humble, poor, hurt by those he is trying to save, an educator, and merciful, which leads to Junior's improvement. Returning to the biblical references, readers will be able to see that these adjectives also align perfectly with the personality of Jesus: the superior power capable of breaking the generation...... middle of paper ......ibe.As the Mr. P, Grandma and Mary share a little piece of their lives with Arnold, they show him how desperation, insecurity and disregard for curses can make people's lives miserable. Even if everyone in society recognizes this, they cannot free themselves because they do not have the opportunity for a higher power to free them from their generational curses. As Junior observes all of this, he decides to be the one who breaks free using the hardships of the curses presented to him as motivation. It is a symbol of hope in the midst of a generational curse. Works Cited Alexie, Sherman. The absolute true diary of a part-time Indian. New York: Hachette Book Group, 2007. Print.Hickey, Marilyn. Breaking generational curses. Tulsa: Harrison House, Inc., 2000. Print.Moore, Beth. Goodbye Insecurity. Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2010. Print.