The importance about Junior and Gordy’s friendship

The friendship between Junior and Gordy is important to Junior because that's what makes Junior feels like a human. In school, Junior is the only Indian, he is the different one. Sometimes, he feels like that he isn’t a human being. After Junior went to Reardon, he was ignored by kids, and  treated like idiots by the teachers.  “I shrank back into my chair and remembered when I used to be a human being.” (Alexie 86) This quote is mentioned after Junior corrected the teacher’s statement, but instead of complementing Junior; the teacher made fun of Junior for coming from a rez and telling him the “wrong information”. The teacher finally committed to  Junior’s answer when the class genius, Gordy, who is now Junior’s friend said that Junior is right. Later, Gordy helped Junior go through the school year by teaching him how to study and how to read. He also brought Junior to a small library and taught Junior, how even a small place like the library, it is filled with mysteries.

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.

#3 "I don't know if hope is white. But I do know that hope for me is like some knid of mythical creature."

On page 51, Arnold says "I don't know if hope is white. But I do know that hope for me is like some knid of mythical creature." By this, he means he doesn't have hope. He's never seen hope, just like he's never seen a unicorn or dragon flying over Spokane. He wants to go to Reardon because the white people there have hope. They have futures, and he doesn't as long as he stays on the rez, so he sort of becomes a white person.  He thinks of the kids at Reardon and the hope that they have as a mythical creature, and he's going to go find that mythical creature. By going to Reardon, he is finding hope.

“I don’t know if hope is white. But I know that hope for me is like some mythical creature” (Alexie 51) (Lena)

The significance of this quote is that Junior is someone who is constantly trying to hope, but has trouble because of his Native American heritage. He explains to the reader that although it’s easier for most white people to hope and to try, hope is not always “white”. For Native Americans on the rez, it’s so rare for people to actually try for things that are so common for white people, like college, that hope has become a “mythical creature” for him and other Native Americans. Junior’s constantly trying to prove that just because he’s poor and Native American, he can still do something, although he sees himself as too weak to do anything. “Man, I was freaked. I didn’t say another word for six days” he explains on page 61 after a white girl named Penelope comments on his accent. This shows how he feels like he can’t do much about anything, being both ‘too weak’ and not white.

Why is Junior hesitant to tell Rowdy? Why Does he tell him? How does Rowdy react? Why does he react that way?

Junior is afraid that when he tells Rowdy that he is transferring to Reardon Rowdy will get angry. Rowdy has always been the protector of Junior but he might beat up Junior. Junior is also concerned about losing his best friend on the reservation especially if the is concerned about being an outsider at
Reardon. Lastly, he knows that he doesn't have anyone else besides family that could help him through his transition to Reardon.
Junior tells Rowdy because he wants Rowdy to come with him to Reardon. He wants to have his best friend come with him so that the friendship doesn't die and there will be someone with him to get through Reardon. Also he sees what Mr. P said about Rowdy having given up and wants to help save him and get Rowdy off the reservation as well. If Junior hadn't told Rowdy and he found out it would be even worse and Junior wouldn't be able to have a proper closing with Rowdy. Finally, he sees the hope that is help by the Reardon kids and wants it for both of them.
Rowdy reacts the way Junior was afraid of. hen Junior tries to comfort Rowdy he insults him just like the other kids on the reservation. He then begins to cry which is very out of character for Rowdy who has a reputation for being tough. Junior describes it as "pure pain" when he screamed. He continues insulting him until finally he punches him right in the face knocking Junior down.
Rowdy reacted this way because he knew that if he didn't come with Junior he would lose him as a friend. Rowdy also didn't want to go to Reardon. He felt as though this was Junior's way of betraying him. Rowdy also gets very angry and react with violence. This was why he poured all of it out on Junior.

#42 Explain the significance of "Every white person on this rez should get smashed in the face. But let me tell you this. All Indians should get smashed in the face, too"

  Mr. P thinks that the Native Americans on the reservation has given up hope and everything that mattered in their lives. People have no dreams, or goals, or ambitions, or anything that keeps a person going and not being turned into a walking dead. Though there are still some who had dreams, like Juniors mother, father and sister, their hope, or any chance of achieving their goals, is ripped away from them. Like what Junior said "but they never got the chance... (Alexie 11)", their dreams are not being noticed, and finally they give up on themselves and give in to alcohol, poverty, and the chance of ever being "alive" again. In the books  that are about Nazi concentration camps, the survivors tells of a kind of people they call "Zombies", who is being worked and worked until they have no dreams of things getting better, no hope of ever escaping this hell on Earth, and most sadly, no souls. They just sat in a corner and moaned for all day long. The Native Americas on the reservation may not be like the "Zombies", but they are close, really close. In conclusion, the Native Americans are being taught and influenced into knowing only to give up and not to be resilient. However one Spokane might prove me wrong, and that is Arnold Spirit Jr., who will eventually escape the reservation prison and find his hopes and dreams, which may be closer to him than he thinks.

What is Mr. P's advice to Junior? (Olivia)

Mr. P comes to Junior’s house having finally realized that he needs to somehow try to intervene in the plight of the Indians. Being hit by the book caused him to reflect on the horrible ways he has treated Indians in the past.  He tries to influence Junior by saying, “You’re the smartest kid in the school. And I don’t want you to fail. I don’t want you to fade away.”(Alexie40) Mr. P recognizes Junior’s intelligence.  He wants to help out Junior and see him thrive, but he also gives this advise to make himself feel better about the way he has treated Indians in the past. Mr. P says, “You have to leave this reservation”(Alexie42).  Mr. P notices that all these children, including Junior’s sister have great potential, but they lose motivation because of the hopelessness of their society. They both “give up”(Alexie43) and “fade away”. When Mr. P says he wants Junior to leave the reservation, he says this with urgency. He pleads with Junior because the other school will help Junior pursue a better life that could potentially help the Indian community.