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.
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ReplyDeleteJunior hides being poor from Penelope and the rest of the school, because the psychology of being poor is actually worse than being poor. Junior doesn’t want the other kids at Rearden to know that he is poor, because them knowing and possibly teasing him about it would hurt more than actually being poor. A quote, “My parents gave me just enough money so that I could pretend to have more money than I did.” (Alexie 119). This quote proves that even Junior’s mom and dad give him a little extra cash to have because they too realize that poverty brings a mindset which makes you feel less than others with more money. Another quote, “... but I didn’t want to be the only Indian and a sad sack who needed charity.” (Alexie 55). Junior also doesn’t want to be poor because he is already the only Indian at the school, and being poor would be another way to make him different than the rest of Rearden. Junior hides being poor from the kids at Rearden, because the psychology of being poor is worse than actually being poor.
ReplyDeleteKatie, I thought you had a really good concluding sentence to wrap up your ideas and show what you meant. I agree with you that by facing his fear and revealing that he was poor, he discovered what a real friend is. Junior says something else to Penelope that relates to helping people on page 81. "'It feels good to help people, doesn't it?' I asked. 'Yes,' she said. 'Yes, it does." (Alexie 81). When Junior said this, he told the reader that he wanted to say "something memorable" (Alexie 80). I think what he said made Penelope feel better about herself for helping people, and when Junior needed it, she remembered what he said and knew she would feel the same way helping him.
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