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.

In “Red Versus White” what does Junior realize about parents? What is the irony?(William N.)

What Junior realizes about parents is that his parents really care about him and there is a difference from the parents in the rez and the parents in Reardan. Junior describes how his parents make sacrifices for him. How they worry for him. Also listen to him. In the rez, everybody knows each other. But in Reardan no one knows each other. Junior’s parents have made many sacrifices like sometimes spending the time to drive him to school. Listening to Junior’s problems and giving him advice. The most important thing they did was letting Junior go to school in Reardan since they cared about him so much.”But it isn't weird that my parents so quickly agreed with my plans. They want a better life for my sister and me… And my parents love me so much that they want to help me”(46). In the rez everybody knows each other. But in Reardan, everybody didn’t know each other and were complete strangers. The ironic part about Junior’s parents caring about Junior is that most Readan kids get ignored by their parents. What’s weird about it is that his dad is an alcoholic and both of Junior’s parents have given up hope but they still care about Junior. What is also ironic is that the rez is really big but everybody knows each other but. In Reardan it is a small town but everybody are like strangers to each other. Some similarities t=from this book and the Outsiders is that Junior and Ponyboy never lose hope. Overall, this shows the sacrifices Junior’s parents have made and the difference between the interaction among people in the rez and in Reardan.

Who is the first game against? How is he treated by the crowd at the first game? How does the team (and coach) react/support him? How does this impact him? (Ava)

                    Junior's first basketball game is against his reservation's team, Wellpinit. When Junior is walking to the gym he hears the crowd yelling "Ar-nold sucks! Ar-nold sucks!" (Alexie 143) They were mad that he switched schools to go to Rearden. As he walks in, they all turn his back to him in unison to show their anger. His own tribe was turning on him, and tribes stick together. When the team got into the locker room, Junior starts crying. His coach took the situation and used it to not only help Junior, but help the rest of the team. "If you care about something enough, it's going to make you cry. But you have to use it. Use your tears. Use your pain. Use your fear. Get mad, Arnold, get mad." (Alexie 144) He wanted Junior to use his anger in the basketball game. It helped commit to the game, and he knew he wouldn't give up until it was over. When he got hit in the head with the quarter, he wouldn't go to the hospital but he wanted Eugene to stitch him up so that he could play again. This represents his commitment and determination to win the basketball game, not only for his team, but for himself. 

What was Junior’s grandmother’s greatest gift? What has happened to Indians’ sense of tolerance? Why has that occurred?

Junior’s grandmother’s greatest gift was her tolerance. Junior remembers and reflects on this before he informs the reader of her tragic death. The Indian’s had tolerance for eccentricity in the old days. In fact, it was celebrated. People who were different stood out and the Indians supported their uniqueness and self expression. However, over the years Indian’s tolerance for eccentricity diminished when white people brought over Christianity. They were disapproving and fearful of differences as the religion did not encourage such “funky” behavior. Indians, not wanting another reason for white people to see them as outsiders, followed along with these opinions. Junior remembers how special his grandmother was in the way that she always embraced other’s eccentricity. “She always approached each new person and each new experience the exact same way.” (Alexie 155) His grandmother never let anyone influence her outlook on life and how to approach it which makes her different than the other Indians on the reservation. She has truly made an impact on those around her guessing from the amount of people who came to celebrate her life when she passed away. In a way, Junior’s grandmother was eccentric with her views on eccentric people. She believed what she wanted to, she had her own mindset, and no matter what, people will always be attracted to the ones who can think for themselves. Junior’s grandmother’s greatest gift was her tolerance for people’s differences and eccentricity.

How did Junior make the basketball team? In what ways was this related to his conversation with his dad earlier? (Walker)

Junior made the varsity basketball team, because he demonstrated perseverance and determination even during unfavorable odds. Not only has Junior proven that he can fall and get back up again on the basketball court, but he has also proven his strength by transferring to Rearden. Junior knows that he isn’t always going to be as good as the others around him, but he realizes that he can never give up if he wants to succeed and provide better for himself than what his family provided. A quote, “Ninety percent of me wanted to take the break. But I knew that if I took that break I would never make the team.” (Alexie 140). This quote proves that Junior accepts the fact that he will always have to work harder than others to achieve his goals, but he is willing to put in the extra effort to reap the benefits. Junior making the basketball team because of his perseverance connects to the conversation he had his dad, because his dad explains to him that, “You have to dream big to get big” (Alexie 136), which shows that what Junior has been doing to improve his life wasn’t expected or even thought of, but Junior knew that he deserved better than the reservation, and nothing would stop him. Junior makes the basketball team by demonstrating perseverance and determination the same way he has been while trying to change his life.

1. Explore the irony of the discussion about Thanksgiving.(Jason)

There is a lot of irony in the discussion Junior has about Thanksgiving. The ironic part is that they all celebrate Thanksgiving, however at the actual time of Thanksgiving back in colonial times, native americans/Indians were being slaughtered and killed by the colonists. "I mean, sure, the Indians and Pilgrims were best friends that first Thanksgiving, but a few years later, the Pilgrims were shooting Indians(101)." The whole point and idea of Thanksgiving is to give thanks. However it is quite ironic because native americans/Indians are giving thanks to the time when they were betrayed, shot, and killed.

#5. What does Arnold hide and ultimately reveal in “Dance Dance Dance?” What does he learn? Be sure to discuss the final sentence on page 129. (Zoe B.)

In “Dance Dance Dance,” Arnold hides that he’s poor and sometimes doesn’t have enough money to buy lunch. Arnold had hidden his poverty for so long because he was afraid of what his friends would think of his life style. He was afraid Penelope would leave him because he didn’t have enough money. He lets the other students believe that he’s middle class because his family owns a casino. In this chapter he learns that people can be helpful and friendly if you let them. This quote shows Arnold’s realization. “If you let people into your life a little bit, they can be pretty damn amazing.” (Alexie 129) When Penelope found out she didn’t walk away as Arnold expected. She was shocked that he had to walk all the way home sometimes and she asked Roger to drive him home. Arnold learned that if he asks for help instead of hiding what’s wrong his friends could help him find a solution.

5. What does Arnold hide and ultimately reveal in “Dance Dance Dance?” What does he learn? Be sure to discuss the final sentence on page 129. (Katie)

Junior realizes that people can do great things for him, but he has to let them. Junior is a poor boy who lives on an Indian Reservation. Although he used to go to a school with all poor Indians, he now goes to a much wealthier school with white kids. Junior is embarrassed how poor he is so he lies his way out of many things so other people don’t think he is poor. When Roger tells Penelope that Junior is poor, Penelope feels bad for Junior, but she makes sure that Roger is able to drive him home from school, so Junior doesn’t have to walk. Junior notices, “If you let people into your life a little bit, they can be pretty damn amazing,” (Alexie 129). From telling Penelope and getting rides from Roger, Junior is aware that there are other people who want to help him and care for him. Junior has spent so much of his life worrying about what others think of him, he never thought that some people could do nice things for him. From this event, Junior now knows that people care for him, but no one can do anything for him unless they know something’s wrong.

Junior On Halloween

Junior had a life changing experience on halloween he really learned how he could change a halloween costume into a charity event. His first impressions of being a homeless person scared him he thought he would be judged and bullied for his halloween costume. That wasn't what happened hi costume was accepted by others, but it may have been a different scene if Penelope wasn't a homeless person also. In this quote, "Well, I said. I'm wearing this to protest against the treatment of homeless Native Americans in this country." He really showed Penelope he card about helping people in need and that changed her views about Arnold she began to accept him as a person and a friend. This scene on halloween was the first sign of Junior being accepted at Rearden.

1. What do you make of Arnold's relationship with his grandmother? (Ella)

Arnold’s relationship with his grandmother is surprisingly understanding despite his living circumstances. His parents are loving yet they make bad decisions, and his sister seems to have given up on her dreams. However, Arnold’s grandmother is very grounded and she differs from the rest of the family, Arnold looks up to her for that reason. When Arnold is scared by Roger, he turns to his grandmother. “I went home that night completely confused. And terrified...I turned to my grandmother for advice.” (Alexie 66-67) When Arnold faces the challenge of attending Reardan, he doesn’t think anyone will understand him. Yet, he soon finds that his grandmother is wise and understanding. Although, Arnold has a tough life, he finds sanity and connection with his grandmother.

Describe how Penelope treats Junior- provide two specific examples

 

Even after Junior was rejected by Penelope, he kept on trying to be friends with her. It started in class, in the morning, “Hey I said. We have the same costume. I thought that she was going to sniff at me again, but she almost smiled” (Alexie 78). Penelope might be starting to realize that Junior does not want to give up on his life, at the rez and that he wants to be his own person and give himself a chance to succeed. She might be realizing how much bravery it took, for him to leave his reservation, and for him to come to a completely different school where he did not know anyone. After this first successful conversation between Junior and Penelope, they met again after Halloween, “I’ll still put your name on the money when I send it” (Alexie 80). This shows that Penelope truly cares about Junior because it says something to put his Junior’s name on the package even though he did not come up with any money. As for Junior, I think that even if Penelope does not ever think of him as much as she did then, this should be a large confidence booster. Junior has one of the most popular girls on his side and the most popular boy on his side. This is because they are realizing that Junior does not want to follow the trend of lost hope in the rez and make use of his life. Junior should hope that this catches fire in the school leading to at least a brighter future at Reardon.

 

 

 

#3. Name/explain three issues/hurdles Junior encounters in his transition to Reardon. (Felix)

The first problem was that he got made fun of because his name was Junior. " They were laughing at my name " ( Alexie 60 ). That meant they thought the name " junior" was weird and stupid which made them laugh at it. Also the girl Penelope thought it was very funny and told her friend and she told other classmates and it just got spread throughout the class. The reason that this is an issue is because this new Indian kid was getting made fun of the first day because of his name which is absurd. The second issue is when Penelope told him that he had a funny voice. " That's why you talk funny" ( Alexie 61 ).  She is insulting his voice and saying it is different than what a normal voice is suppose to be. The reason why it is a hurdle for Junior is because Junior is getting made fun of for his Indian reservation accent which made him freaked and not speak for six days. The third problem was that Roger the giant told him a racist joke. " Did you know that Indians are living proof that niggers fuck buffalo? " ( Alexie 60 ). Roger the giant walked up to him and told him that joke because he was Indian wish is really insensitive to Indians. This the resulted in Junior punching him in his face and made his nose bleed. " So I punched Roger in the face "( Alexie 65 ).  He did this because he followed the rules of fisticuffs which said, " If somebody Insults you, then you have to fight him. " ( Alexie 61 ). Those are the three issues Junior faced when he transitioned to Reardon.

Name/explain three issues/hurdles Junior encounters in his transfer to Reardon. (Jack) (51)

The first issue Junior has had with his transfer to Reardon is the loss of his tribe and particularly his best friend, Rowdy. This was a sore blow to him, as it made him very sad and guilty to fellow tribe members. While losing his tribe might be not very sad, as he was bullied anyways, losing Rowdy would have a great impact on Junior. Rowdy was Junior's only true friend and protected him from the bullying, as well as having lots of fun with Junior. However, the revelation that Junior would go to Reardon shocked Rowdy to the core. This was such a huge impact that Rowdy gave Junior a black eye and a broken nose. Junior was also very sad at the loss of his true friend, and the split was so big that Junior said that "My best friend had become my worst enemy." (Alexie 53) The second issue Junior had with his transfer was his own inconfidence. He felt that he didn't belong and was different from everyone else, as shown by "Reardon, was the opposite of the Rez. It was the opposite of my family. It was the opposite of me. I didn't deserve to be there."  (Alexie 56) This shows that Junior believed that he didn't belong in Reardon because everyone was white, good looking, and athletic. Junior also thought that he was alone because of racial differences, as he was the only Indian kid in the school other than the school mascot. Junior thought that all of these differences would cause him to become an outsider at this school, and he acted very shyly toward other students within the school.

The third issue was that Junior is heavily looked upon as an outsider and even bullied by the tall kids. During the first day of school, the sight of Junior walking into the school as a student caused mingled looks of curiosity and condescendence from the white students. This continued into his home room, where his classmates looked at him with hard stares, "like I was bad weather." (Alexie 59) "The students couldn't believe their eyes" (Alexie 56) at the sight of an Indian child attending the school. The big kids, looking down upon Junior, started bullying him. Because they thought that despite his scrawny appearance, he could be a murderer, they didn't physically assault him. Instead, they called him various insulting names such as "Chief" and "Tonto". This only stopped when the leader called Junior an incredibly racist name, causing Junior to hit his face and draw a lot of blood. These are some major problems Junior faced at Reardon.

Interpret/explore/explain the context and the significance of the quote “I don’t know if hope is white. But I do know that hope for me is like some mythical creature” (51). (Robbie)

Junior believes that hope is a mythical creature because he thinks that whites are better which gives him less hope. He says that he thinks hope is a mythical creature when he was explain how Reardan is a better school, and how he thinks the white people are better. "They were filled with hope" (Alexie 50). This quotation shows that Junior believes that the whites are more likely to be successful, however his hope makes him believe that he too can be successful. Junior says all the things he does because he wishes that he was white and that he could have their hope. Another reason that Junior talks about the whites the way he does is that he thinks that his race is just worse than the whites. Junior believes that hope is mythical because over his lifetime he has been told and shown that the Native Americans can not be as good as the whites.

Interpret/explore/explain the context and the significance of the quote “I don’t know if hope is white. But I do know that hope for me is like some mythical creature” (51). (Olivia)

The quote "I don't know if hope is white. But I do know that hope for me is like some mythical creature." (Alexie 51) shows that Junior feels so far from hope. Like a mythical creature, hope doesn't exist for Junior. This was when Junior was thinking about how "magnificent, beautiful, and smart" the white kids were.  He doesn't know yet if whites do have all the hope, because he's never experienced being around them, but he's pretty sure because of what his parents told him and past experiences. "'Who has the most hope?...'White people' my parents said...That's exactly what I thought they were going to say" (Alexie 45). Because Junior comes from the reservation, he has strongly been influenced that white people have more hope, and a bigger future. Also, the people Junior is with, like his family taught him that white people have more opportunities that he probably won't have. Because it's pretty clear to him that white people are "better", he thinks without a doubt that he's far from white people, far from doing what he wants. Junior doesn't believe in Indians having hope, which will make his whole journey going to Reardan even harder. It will also make his life harder because he thinks he knows that hope cannot be found for him. Junior is making things worse for himself because he doesn't realize that Indians are equal to whites. This won't be very helpful when he starts his new life.

Interpret/explain/explore the context and significance of the quote “We were supposed to kill the Indian to save the child” (35).

The quote “We were supposed to kill the Indian to save the child” (Alexie 35) is Mr. P’s way of explaining the cruel teaching methods used to kill the Indian culture within Junior’s peers. Mr. P confesses to Junior “I hurt a lot of Indian kids when I was a young teacher.” (Alexie 35) Mr. P was taught to kill the Indian within Junior’s peers. He was to discourage Indian culture, customs, and tradition in order to shape a “normal” kid. He tells Junior how he beat the bad students and basically discouraged individuality. A teacher should be someone to guide you and encourage self expression whether that be an ethnic background or something else. Mr. P and the people influencing him had no right to force the Indian culture out of his students. People who go down in history are the ones who don’t follow the social norm. They aren’t afraid to express themselves and show the world their differences. Mr. P put the kids on the rez to a disadvantage of becoming a leader one day because they don't have the courage and self-foundation to be one. The fact that Indians were forced into reservations in the first place shows just how disapproving the world is of Indian culture. The quote “We were supposed to kill the Indian to save the child” (Alexie 35) shows how people aren’t accepting of the Indian’s culture and differences and the children need to be changed to fit the social norm.

Interpret/explain/explore the context and significance of the quote “We were supposed to kill the Indian to save the child” (35). (Walker)

The quote, “We were supposed to kill the Indian to save the child.” (Alexie 35), means that if someone is different from the societal norm then you must change them until they fit your image of what they should be like. This quote is spoken when Mr. P comes over to talk to Junior while he is suspended for breaking Mr. P’s nose. At first, Mr. P is asking Junior why he threw the book , but then Mr. P explains that regardless of his feeling, he feels compelled to forgive Junior because he used to “...kill the Indian to save the child.”(Alexie 35) which means he used to break the Indian children’s spirit to make them more like societal norms. For a while, Indians have been mistreated and placed on reservations because they weren’t like Europeans. When they first came to America, they didn’t want to conform to our society. They wanted to continue their culture and practices and not be influenced by others. This is what began the Relocation Program, which led tons of Cherokee Indians to Oklahoma, and many other groups were just simply killed by the U.S. Calvary. Children of relocated Native Americans were taken from their homes and put in schools to strip of them of their cultures and make them learn like Europeans. By Junior throwing the book at Mr. P (it is the same book as his mom used), Junior shows that he isn’t willing to just let the White people break him because they treat him poorly and don’t provide adequate resources. They had decided that because Indians were different that they were going to make them change their ways to conform to their social norm. The quote, “We were supposed to make you give up being Indian.” (Alexie 35), is showing that the White people assigned to break the Indian’s spirit believed they could mold them into whatever they wanted. They did not provide them with adequate resources instead if they wanted to learn like a “normal” child they would have to go to a White school in a racist town, like Junior is attempting to do by going to Rearden. The White people thought that the Indian children were being poisoned by their parents and they believed they could “save” them if they broke their spirit and took away their customs and removed them from their family life. This is very significant because Mr. P is realizing that Junior will not have his spirit broken regardless of how hard the White people try. This quote proves that White people tried  to break the Indian’s spirits and culture to make them like the Social Norm.

Interpret/explore/explain the context and the significance of the quote “Every white person on this res should get smashed in the face. But let me tell you this. All the Indians should get smashed in the face, too.” (42) ( William)

What Mr. P. is saying that the white people have given hope like Rowdy. Also the Indians have given hope like Mary and Junior’s parents.  Mr. P. said “Every white person on this rez should get smashed in the face. But, let me tell this. All the Indians should get smashed in the face, too”(35).What is so significant about about what Mr. P. said  is because they have given up hope and share their hopelessness and pain to others. That’s why the whites and Indians should get smashed in the face. The whites and the Indians are creating this endless cycle of suffering. An what’s important after this quote is when Mr. P. tells Junior that he  still hasn’t given up hope and it is bad for Junior to stay at the rez. “We’re all going to kill you. You can’t fight us forever… You kept your hope, you have to take your hope and go somewhere where other people have hope”(35). This shows that there is no point for staying. The people who have given up hope and cause harm deserve to get smashed in the face.Junior should go somewhere better than the rez. Since Junior hasn’t given up hope and why Mr. P. told Junior that he should deserve better.

2. What is Mr. P's advice to Junior? Why does he give this advice? (Ava)

           "You have to leave this reservation." (Alexie 42) "'If you stay on this rez,' Mr. P said, 'We're all going to kill you. You can't fight us forever.'" (Alexie 43). These two quotes signify Mr. P's advice to Junior. He wanted him to run away from his home on the rez so that he could find hope. Mr. P had seen the other people who lived on the reservation, and he didn't want Junior to give up like they had. Junior had been through much more than most other kids, and he still had interest in learning and getting through to the world with his drawings. The teacher's advice might've put a lot of pressure on Junior, but he was doing it because he cared for him. He had seen the same kind of light shining inside of Junior that he saw inside of his sister, Mary, when she discovered romance novels. She had given up, and Mr. P didn't want to lose another child who "deserved better" (Alexie 40). When he said that they would all "kill" Junior if he didn't leave the rez, Mr. P meant that they would kill his excitement. Junior was the only kid there who believed that the world was worth fighting for, the only kid that hadn't given up. If he didn't leave and find hope soon, his light would burn out. 

2. Why does Junior say, “it sucks to be poor…” (13)? What does “poverty teach you (13)”? Explain. (Jason)

Junior says it sucks to be poor because he thinks his father could have been a professional musician, that could make his family wealthy. Junior also says that the only thing poverty teaches you is how to be poor. "Given a chance, my father would have been a magician... We don't get those chances(13)." Obviously Junior thinks his father could have made it big time. However since he lives on the reservation, his family does not get a chance to prove themselves and get a good job. So he thinks he is stuck like this forever, and this why "poverty sucks". "Poverty doesn't give you strength or teach you lessons about perseverance. No, poverty only teaches you how to be poor(13)." Junior doesn't really fight against his poorness. He has just accepted the fact that he is poor. So he feels that he doesn't get anything out of being poor. The only thing he gets from it is the fact that he is indeed poor.

1. What is “absolutely the saddest thing in the world” (31)? Explain why Junior says this and the implication. (Katie)

1. What is “absolutely the saddest thing in the world” (31)?  Explain why Junior says this and the implication. (Katie)

In Junior’s life, the saddest thing in his world is poverty. Junior has lived in poverty for his whole life. His family has always been poor, no matter what they try to do. When Junior goes to his first day of school, he is very excited to get his Geometry book. When he does, it turns out that the book he is given is the same exact book that his mom used around thirty years ago. Seeing this used book reveals to him that “[His] school and [his] tribe are so poor and sad that [they] have to study from the same dang books [their] parents studied from,” (Alexie 31). This book that his mom used is proof that Junior lives a very poor life. He has always known that but he never knew it would come up in his education. Although it does not affect him so much, it is still very sad to see that his school does not have the money to pay for new books. Poverty has become the saddest thing in the world for Junior.

#1. Respond to one of the quotes to note. Please identify speaker, interlocutor, context, and significance. (Zoe B.)

“I draw because words are too unpredictable. I draw because words are too limited...” ( Alexie 5).

In this quote Junior is thinking to himself while giving some background information about his disabilities to the reader. He’s describing what he does in his free time and why. This quote is important because it shows how Junior has a creative and imaginative mind. He uses his cartoons to show what he feels because he can’t find the words. He believes that anyone can understand a drawing no matter what language people speak. He feels like he can express his feelings more by putting them on paper and showing people instead of using his words. Junior thinks that words don’t always have enough meaning and drawing has more emotion. He says words are unpredictable, meaning he believes they can be misinterpreted by others.

“But when you draw a picture, everybody can understand it.” (Alexie 5)

By using drawings he can communicate more about what he’s feeling and show what he’s thinking. Drawing allows him to escape into his own world, where there aren’t any bullies who can find him and where he can be himself.

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