English 102
2/28/2014
MW 9:30-11:45
Anthony Galli
“Hope, Risks and the Consequences”
How through so much adversity
does one young/brave boy deal with the hardships
most of us
take for granted. He’s one of the most positive influences in this book, yet
gets
“crap” delt
to him throughout the novel. How in the world does he manage to stay level
headed
(at times),
though Sherman Alexie shows many emotions and acts from each of the influential
people in
Juniors
experiences. I look at it from this perspective; Grateful people have hope
and tend to
take
risks if not more than most. They go at life from a different perspective. Junior decides to
“get at”
life, though only knowing “the Rez” (reservation).
Junior only knows the “Rez”, so why would he
leave? Maybe he was tired of the
bullying by
his peers. The Andrusses Jim,John and Joe tease and beat junior(page20-22).
They”
knee him in
the balls” call him an assortment of cruel names. Yet junior doesn’t get angry
or
even
vengeful. In fact, Rowdy in defense of junior vandalizes the brothers
out of spite
and anger. The situation was a close friend sticking up for a close friend.
Rowdy has a
huge defense mechanism for junior, and feels that if he protects him,
junior will not
leave him. Maybe it was a courageous act caused by the talk Junior had with
Mr.
P(32-43),Junior decides to leave anyway. Transferring schools overnight is a
pretty crazy yet
courageous
act by a young man that has little to no experience. Juniors attempt for a
better life
caused him
to leave the Rez to prevent himself from ending up like the people in Spokane
Though there are a few static
characters on the Rez, junior still has some influential
people that
give him hope, wisdom or even happiness. His parents, though not the greatest
of
influences, they
still mean a lot to him. His father is an alcoholic as well as his mother who
has
her bright
moments. On juniors first day of school, obviously he was pretty shaken up, but
his
dad gave him
a ride and before junior left the car he said “those white people aren’t better
than
you” (page
55) and to encourage him he said to junior “this is a great thing, you’re so
brave,
you’re a
warrior.” He stated this as an act of kindness to push him in the right
direction.
that’s what he needed to leave the car and
start his “new life”. His grandmother is a
major
influence on junior and even the story. She gives him light and laughter, even
some of
her wisdom.
Junior fought roger on his first day. Punching the toughest guy on campus, the
grandmother
said” you should have walked away”
he then
states his argument, she responds “then you should have kicked him in the
balls”
(page 68) .
This was one of the lighter, easier
parts of the book to read. She was nothing but a
positive influence
to junior. Which he must have loved and admired. I mean she teaches him
about respect
that’s a huge part of life, respecting your peers.
Transferring schools can’t be
easy- socially for a young man that has never left what he
knows. What
he goes through on a daily basis can greatly effect his attitude towards anyone
or
even any
situation. He, though has positive influence, has been bullied and taunted
which shows
when he
punches Roger, the big/popular senior on the first day. He also goes to Reardan
with an
open mind.
He has been influenced by multiple people at this point in the story (Grandma,
Rowdy, Mr. P,
Eugene) he has also influenced some
people as well (sister). By this point he
really has
to be vulnerable and even more than that fearful. Everything is new and to him
and
his thought
process for the most part is hostile. Not physically but mentally. It is
awesome how
he is able
to still focus on his goal in succeeding, but can still “fall half in love” and
befriend
some people,
he still has to deal with the reality back on the Rez. Rowdy his best friend “hates”
junior for
leaving him his parents are still drinking themselves under. So really Reardan
was
some sort of
an escape for Junior. Even getting to school was an adventure. He would walk
hitchhike
get rides from his parents on occasion. To us we would never even think about
hitchhiking
to school as a 14 year old. These are things I’m sure we take for granted I
speak for
myself when
I say I only walked to school on occasion and it wasn’t 22 miles and I am
positive I
would’ve never
hitchhiked. He has such drive to succeed, but what keeps him going?
One thing for sure that is
made as a prominent subject is alcoholism. It is one of
the many
things junior deals with in his life. More Indians die because of drinking than
any
other
accident or cause of death to Indians. Almost every adult in this book from his
family
drinks
alcohol or is in fact intoxicated! His father would get drunk and hide the fact
that he has
not raised
his family the way he wanted, for instance Christmas. Mr. Spirit left for one
week
took all the
money they had for Christmas and “left on Christmas eve and came back on
January
2nd.”
(page 150)Though what happens next was a softer moment between Junior and his
father,
which could’ve
turned for the worst, but for some reason he held back. He could have told his
father off
and set him straight for taking the money and boozing with it. He didn’t and
that
comes back
to the positive influences like his grandmother and tolerance (her greatest
feature)
she teaches
him to forgive and forget in a sense. This is not something you see in 14 year
old
boys now. He
is extremely positive for the circumstances that un fold in this novel.
There have been many traumatic things that
happen to Arnold in this book, but what
takes the
cake is the series of tragic/graphic deaths to juniors loved ones. In a matter
of a few
weeks Arnolds
grandmother, sister and fathers best friend die. Each more tragic than the
next,
but the one
that stood out was Grandmother Spirits death. Not because of what occurred, but
her last act
before she passed which I think taught Arnold and the rest of the Spokane. That
tolerance
and forgiveness are two major parts of what it is like to be a respectable
person.
Before she
passed she told Arnolds family to forgive the drunk driver! There first
reaction was
anger as
would most peoples first reaction would typically be. For some odd reason
Junior kept
his
composure to a certain extent, but that is only to be expected by a young man
dealing with
trauma.
After the passing of these wonderful characters Arnold still focuses on his
goals of
graduating. He
still plays basketball and eventually realizes that though there are many downs
there are
the little things that you must enjoy. Staying in the moment. Like climbing a
tree,
hearing a
story told by a loved one, playing sports with friends. All while juggling his
own
personal
life and keeping a level head to keep going forward.
Though through all the hardships
all the deaths the experiences at Reardan and even his
love life,
the sports, class and even the Rez junior has had it rough and still remains
for the most
part very positive.
He is someone a young boy or man could learn from and follow by example.
Even relate
to some of these situations. Truly amazing what a grateful, young person with
hopes and humble
beginnings, would take risks and get at life with a different positive
perspective.
