2. Examine the cartoon on page 12. What is the relationship between poverty and dreams?        


The cartoon on page 12 shows who Arnold's parents who have been if they had followed their dreams. His mother would have been a teacher, and his dad would have been a jazz saxophone player. These were their dreams when they were younger, but now they are only hobbies. Arnold's mom still reads books a lot and remembers everything she reads, but she cannot become a teacher because she should not afford to attend college. When his father is drunk, he sings old country songs, and Arnold says that his dad sounds good, like he should be in a professional band. "But we reservation Indians don't get to realize our dreams" (Alexi 13). In this quote, Arnold means that his family and other Native American families cannot follow their dreams because they are either too poor, or nobody pays attention to them. Since Arnold's family is poor, they cannot follow their dreams.