Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

After reading the beginning of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, the thing that struck me the most was the alcohol abuse on the reservation.  Junior's family, as well as all the other families on the reservation, is very poor.  Junior's family sometimes goes without a meal for 18 hours, yet his parents manage to be alcoholics.  Alcohol is way more expensive and way less necessary than food, but most of the adult Indians would rather go without food than alcohol.  Many of the Indians become violent when they drink, like Rowdy and his father, creating further damage and pain.