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.