Describe how Penelope treats Junior – provide two specific examples. How does this relationship contribute to Junior’s understanding of himself/his identity? (Aaron)

Penelope treats Junior as a second class citizen. She sends rude remarks to him for no major reason, the only one being that he told her his nick name. She asked him what his name was, and after responding to her with "Junior" (Alexie 59), the teacher began attendance. He called for Arnold, and when he responded, she got mad at him. "She accused me of telling her my real name" (Alexie 60). She seems to have started to dislike Junior for no good reason, which really bummed Junior out. She not only was mad at him that day, but continued showing disrespect towards him throughout the next few weeks. Another example of her rudeness to Junior was when he was trying to talk to her, but instead of showing kindness to a new kid at her school, she asked who he was. When he responded, she said "'Oh, that's right,' she said. 'You're the boy who can't figure out his own name'" (Alexie 73) Penelope showed blatant disregard toward his feelings by insulting him in front of all her friends. When Junior walked in to his first class, Penelope was the first person he saw, and he thought she was pretty and tried to befriend her. Instead she just insulted him and didn't care which made Junior feel bad about himself. After all, she was the first person he talked to and she made him fell isolated and distant from everybody else at this school. Junior didn't even make a single friend for weeks which means that his self esteem went even further than what it was when he came to a white school.