Summarize the outcome of the game. Why does Junior cry at the end? What does he realize? ( Felix )

The outcome of the game was at first Junior was scared and nervous for this game. He called himself a "yucker" because he threw a up numerous time because he had a lot of anxiety built up for this game against Wellpinit high school, which is the school Rowdy goes to. He realized during the game he was actually pretty good and he did something spectacular. He stole the ball from Rowdy as he was going to dunk and shot a three pointer. He wowed the crowd and the crowd starting cheering for him. "AND THE GYM EXPLODED! " He realizes that his team were giant teenage seniors who had cars and jobs.  "I realized that my team , the Reardan Indians, was Goliath." After the game he cried because Rowdy's dad was going to beat him for losing the game and he broke his best friend's heart which meant more than basketball to him. " I was crying because I had broken my best friend's heart" In the end he is good basketball player and he still cares deeply for Rowdy.

2. Why does Junior cry on pages 216 and 217? (Ella)

Junior cries on pages 216 and 217 because he is realizing that although he thought the world was against him, it's really not. When Junior starts to cry he is remembering all the family he has lost and mourning them. Junior’s realization changed him because he now knows only you can change your outlook on life, no one else. As Junior stands in the graveyard mourning his dead relatives he realizes “And that’s when I knew everything was going to be okay.” Junior is a very strong individual who overcomes many obstacles. Junior cries because his realization of the world is a big adjustment that he filled with tears.

Why does Rowdy tell Arnold, “You killed her” (211)? Is there truth to this statement? (Alexi)

Rowdy tells Arnold that he killed his sister because there are reasons as to why Mary left that were because of Arnold's actions. Rowdy was starting to blame Arnold when they ran into each other in the woods, "...She was only living in Montana in a cheap trailer house because I had gone to school in Reardan. She had burned to death because I had decided that I wanted to spend my life with white people," (Alexie 211). Arnold is blaming himself for the death of his sister because of the actions he had no control of. Although what he did led up to his sisters decision about moving away, he could not have predicted that. He did not make the decision to go to Montana or go to the party and get drunk his sister did. His choices may have influenced hers but in the moment Arnold was not thinking that way and was not expected to. Arnold would obviously not do this on purpose and if he had realized what he did before he would have stopped, he loved his sister too much, she was different just like him.

Summarize the outcome of the game. Why does Junior cry at the end? What does he realize? (Olivia)

At the end of the game, Arnold realizes that the win was not such a good thing. He realizes that the Reardan basketball team was much more privileged than the Wellpinit team will ever be. He thinks in his mind after seeing the looks on the other team’s faces that he shouldn’t have been so angry. He cries tears of shame. “I was crying because I had broken my best friend’s heart.” (Alexie 196). Because of Reardan’s win, the Wellpinit team is not qualified for play-offs. He broke Rowdy’s heart because he took away the only happiness in Rowdy’s life, basketball. Arnold thinks it’s the only good thing they could’ve had. He knows that Rowdy’s dad will beat him because he lost the game. He knows that no one on that team is going to college, and most people on Reardan’s team will. Arnold realizes that the Wellpinit team had much worse problems than Reardan, so he cries.

Explain the humor/irony of the title of the chapter, “Rowdy and I Have a Long and Serious Discussion About Basketball.”(Robbie)

The irony in the chapter tittle is that the "long" conversion only lasted a little under a page, although this chapter is very short it is still important. At the end of their discussion Junior feels like it went amazing because Rowdy actually talked to him. When Junior tells the reader "I was a happy faggot"(Alexie 198" Junior is showing that he was happy with the development of he and Rowdy's relationship re-build. This chapter is also ironic because their conversion was about basketball which eventually saved their relationship. The chapter title Rowdy and I have a long and serious discussion about basketball is both ironic and funny because of the deceiving length and the importance of such a short chapter.

Blog #8 Pg.199-230 Why does Junior cry on pages 216 and 217? (Sam)

Junior cries on pages 216 and 217 because he knows that many other Indians living on the reservation are going to kill themselves in the next year by getting drunk. Two of his family members, people that he loved were killed by getting drunk. Junior just wants everyone to pursue their dreams and get far away from the reservation. "I wanted them to get strong and to get sober and to get the hell off the rez" (Alexie 216). This shows how much Junior loves all of the people around him and how it hurts him so deeply to see them making decisions like these that are costing them their lives. "The police say your sister never even woke up...she was way to drunk" (Alexie 205). This is the best example of how alcohol can cost someone their life and how frustrated Junior should be after people, that he loves, die because such a silly reason. This hurts Junior because after he finds out about all of his loved ones dying, he questions his future and in the end he might end up as one of these people. However, for the moment, he is determined not to, "I knew that I was never going to drink and because I was never going to kill myself" (Alexie 217) As you can see, Junior is pained by seeing his loved tribe members die because of getting drunk.

Blog #8 Pg.199-230 Reed Shachoy

At the end of the novel what does Junior realize about his own identity, his life and Rowdy?

At the end of "The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian," Junior discovered important, positive qualities about his identity, his life, and his friendship with Rowdy. At first he thinks of himself as a poor kid who lives on an Indian Reservation. The other kids on the reservation call him a "retard" (Alexie 4) at least twice a day. He learns over time that he has more to himself than his stutter and lisp; he is actually one of the smartest kids at Rearden High School. In the beginning of the book, he realizes that he is divided in half between White and Spokane Indian worlds. He is split between the two groups at Rearden. He finally learns there is more to him besides his skin color. He comes to the conclusion that the characteristics that make up his personality are more important than his race alone. "I am in the tribe of chips and salsa lovers and the tribe of teenage boys" (Alexie 217).  In addition, Junior realizes that his relationship with Rowdy is special. No matter how far apart they get, they will always be friends. Rowdy may have hated him for leaving the reservation, but deep down he didn't hate Junior. In the end of the story,- the game of one on one basketball symbolizes their friendship. It was just best friends doing what they loved and they "didn't keep score" (Alexie 230). By the end of the novel, Junior understands himself more as a person and starts to feel hopeful about the future.