"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.
This is great!! Here's a quote that connects to this "'The only thing you kids are being taught is how to give up." (Alexie 42). This relates to what you're saying about the kids on the reservation giving up. I think it is a key idea in the book.
ReplyDeleteAva, I agree with you that Mr. P wanted to see Junior leave the reservation because junior still had hope and he was still fighting. Mr. P also wanted to help Junior leave the reservation because he thought that Junior could fight hard enough to leave the reservation and survive. Mr. P shows this by saying " You've been fighting since you where born"(Alexie 43). This shows that Mr. P believes that Junior wont just accept his situation but he will fight to make it better.
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