Explore the irony of the discussion about Thanksgiving.
Junior and his parents traditionally celebrate Thanksgiving with a turkey dinner. On page 102, Junior asks his dad what Indians have to be thankful for. His dad responds by saying "We should give thanks that they (The Europeans) didn't kill all of us" (Page 102). While being thankful for the fact that the Europeans did not kill every single Indian in the New World is important, it is ironic and upsetting that there is only that for which to be thankful. The European landing in the New World occurred four hundred years before Junior's life, and does not directly affect him. Junior's dad's response represents their family's views on the poor living quality of them and their fellow Indians. The re-occurring theme of hopelessness for the future of the Indians arises in this conversation. One would hope that there is more to hope for than solely the absence of death.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteYou state that the Europeans' landing in the New World does not directly affect Junior. I agree it does not directly affect him, but it does affect him greatly. When the Europeans arrived in America they oppressed the Native Americans causing them to live in Indian reservations and be stuck in the "multigenerational loop of despair" that you described in a previous post. Since the Europeans arrived in the New World and oppressed the Indians they've been stuck in the reservation and in poverty, and this includes Junior and his family.
ReplyDelete