Reading #7: Interpret/explain/explore the context and significance of the last line of the book (230). (Claudia)

At the end of the novel, Junior narrates "We didn't keep score". Most of Junior's friendships have been competitive in some way or another. With Rowdy, Junior felt like he was constantly trying to be accepted by him, while Rowdy made no effort to conserve their friendship. Their friendship was especially competitive during the basketball season, when all they wanted to do was beat each other. On page 190 Junior narrates, "Rowdy and I pretended that we weren't looking at each other. But, man, oh, man, we were sending some serious hate signals across the gym." The last quote represents Junior's friendship with Rowdy, coming to a more mature standpoint, where it isn't all competitions. This quote also represents Junior's new outlook on life. Junior now feels that he doesn't have to live his life keeping track of everything that is happening. He doesn't have to count the number of deaths, or good grades he gets all the time; sometimes he just has to live in the moment.

Reading #7 Why does Junior cry on pages 216 & 217? (Olivia)

            Junior cries on pages 216 and 217 because he is depressed and feels badly about all of the drama that has occurred within his tribe and his life in general.  Junior began crying when he thought about his dead sister, Mary. How she had attempted to make her dreams come true but ended her life with an unfortunate tragedy. She took the risk of moving to Alabama and getting married. Arnold realized that she didn’t deserve to die because of the chances she decided to take. She didn’t have to get drunk. Junior cried, not only for Mary but also for other Spokanes in the village who were dying suddenly from alcohol overdose. “I was crying because I knew five or ten or fifteen more Spokanes would die during the next year, and that most of them would die because of booze (Alexie 216).” He was crying for his fellow tribe members who were killing themselves. He was also crying for himself. For his bravery, strength, and courage to leave the Rez and receive a better education, to follow his dreams. “I wept and wept because I knew that I was never going to drink and because I was never going to kill myself and because I was going to have a better life out in the white world (Alexie 217).” He was tearing up for the Indians who were loosing their lives because of a stupid reason, alcohol. He was crying for his dead sister, Mary. He was crying for himself and his courage. He was crying for his whole tribe. 

Reading # 7: Why does Junior cry on pages 216 and 217 (Brendan)?

On pages 216 and 217, Junior cries because of all the horrible things that have happened and will happen to his tribe. On page 216, Junior says, " It all made me cry for my sister. It made me cry for myself. But I was crying for my tribe, too." (Alexie, 216). This quote shows that Junior cried for his family and his people. This quote happens when Junior and his mom and his dad go to the cemetary and they make a picnic out of their day with Eugene, Mary and Grandmother. Junior loves his tribe and his family, and so he cries for them. Junior cries because he loves his tribe, and he is upset with what has happened.

"Why does Rowdy tell Arnold "You killed her" (211) Is there truth to this statement?" Questions #7, Max E.

As Junior runs from the burial of his sister because of the sighing sound the coffin made, he crashes into Rowdy at full speed. In the middle of a tear-filled and emotional conversation between the two boys, Rowdy tells Junior that "Your sister is dead because you left us." (211). This makes Junior feel that "She (Mary) only got married so quickly and left the rez because I had left the rez first. She was only living in Montana in a cheap trailer house because I had gone to school in Reardan. She had burned to death because I had decided that I wanted to spend my life with white people" (211). Although Mary may have been inspired by Junior's move to Reardan, and embarked on a new life in Montana because of this inspiration, it is unfair to blame Junior for Mary's death. The alcoholic hangover and stove fire did not directly occur because of the move. They took place by chance. If Mary's death did not happen, they she most likely would have continued a happy life with her husband.

Reading #6 Question 3 - Summarize the outcome of the game. Why does Junior cry at the end? What does he realize? (Rachel)

            Arnold wanted to get revenge on his best friend so badly, he did not realize that while doing so, he only made the situation worse.  Once Readan beat Wellpoint, Arnold looked into the crowd to find that his father was not happy but disappointed; "I was suddenly ashamed that I'd wanted so badly to take revenge on them."  (Alexie, 196)  Arnold finally understood that this game, and being good at basketball, was the only thing that the kids could control.  Everything else in their lives are out of their hands and mostly life threatening.  For the Reardan team, if they lost, they could go on, but the Wellpoint kids would have to live with that shame forever.  Immediately after Arnold says, "I was crying tears of shame."  (Alexie, 196)  Junior instantly wanted to take back what he had done to his best friend.  He realized that while he could go off to college and have a life, Rowdy and the other kids were stuck in the circle of poverty and depression, unable to change their paths.  His tears are for his friend, and what he can never give back to him.  

Reading #6: Question 1. What is Arnold's grieving ceremony? (Jack)

With all the bad things that are happening to Arnold he needed a way to get rid of some of his grief. "I kept trying to find the little pieces of joy in my life." Arnold has a grieving ceremony where he writes down things that give him joy and happiness. In his grieving ceremony he writes lists of his favorite things, draws cartoons and also think about the bad things that have happened. This connects to the cartoon on page 66. because Junior is letting out some of his grief and his brain is being renewed. Arnold's list renewed him enough to come back and win his basketball game and be a little bit happier.

Reading #5: question 2- summarize the cartoon on 182. What is the significance? What does it show about junior? What is his dilemma?

     On page 182 there is a cartoon of Junior playing basketball at the Wellpinit high gym and at the Reardan high gym. In the Wellpinit gym he is the devil and has a nervous expression, specifically not a sad expression. There is a quarter bouncing off his forehead, the crowd is yelling boo, and white-lover. On the Reardan high side Junior is an angel. He has an expression on his face that is still worry-some, his expression is confused, questioning. The crowd is yelling destroy them, Arnold! And yayyy!!!  On both sides he is wondering "who am I", with an extra question mark on the Reardan side.
    I think there is an extra question mark on the Reardan side because he is wondering why is he here, because he is the only person from Wellpinit to go to Reardan. The dilemma that Junior is facing is: Junior fells odd and out of place playing for Reardan, against the team he used to be on that is from his town. The angel and devil is how the spectators view Junior. Junior is the devil at Wellpinit because he left the rez and abandoned his tribe, but he is an angel at Reardan because he scores many points and helps support the team. The significance is Junior feels like a hero at Reardan, but when playing his old friends in Wellpinit he feels like a enemy, for leaving them all behind in the rez.