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.