Summarize the cartoon on 182. What is the significance? What does it show about Junior? What is his dilemma? (Kimia)

The cartoon on page 182 shows two sides of Arnold. It demonstrates how he feels when he's is at the Wellpinit gym and how he feels when he is at the Reardan gym. This shows that going to school at Reardan was the right choice, because even though it was a hard transition at first, he realized that he was "like one of those Indian scouts who led the U.S. Cavalry against other Indians." (Alexie, 182) This shows that in the end, he felt like he was fighting against his Wellpinit, even though when he had just moved to Reardan, he was fighting all of the white people there. This quote reflects on the picture significantly, because in the picture, it shows that Junior is fighting against the Indians boo-ing him and he is encouraged by the white people cheering him on. Junior's two sides are the Indian side and the white side, and he has to suffer through negative comments coming from the Indians about how he has white heritage in him. His white friends cheer him on because he has a white side, but don't like the Indian part of him. This picture is important because it shows that Junior doesn't know who he is, and explains the struggle he has had throughout his time at Reardan.

PTI #8 Why does Junior cry on pages 216 and 217? By Abigail Rabieh

Junior cries on pages 216 and 217 because he is mourning the life that his fellow Indians lead, and is mourning what he has to do to get a good life. The Indians on the rez are all sad and drunk and slowly killing themselves through alcohol. Junior is very upset about this, and it’s only reinforced when he thinks about his life. He and his tribe have been through so many deaths because of alcohol, and will go through many more. He wants them all to not only live, but get off the rez like him, and is crying because he knows that will never happen. He is also crying because knows he has to leave the rez, but it means leaving behind everything he knows.  Junior says “I knew that staying on the rez would kill me” (Alexie 216), but he also knows that the rez and the people on is will haunt him forever. Junior knows what he has to do, and is sad about it, but also realizes that he belongs to more than just one tribe on his reservation, and he will be able to survive with other people, not just his Spokane family.

PTI #8 - Quote to note: “I belonged to that tribe…”(217)

On page 217 Junior says the repetitive line "I belonged to that tribe..." (Alexie, 217) and continued the sentence with all of the things that are apart of himself. Junior is speaking to both himself and the reader as he is sitting in the cemetery realizing that he may feel alone, but he isn't the only one. "I realized that I might be a lonely Indian boy, but I was not alone in my loneliness." (Alexie, 217) Each time after he says the beginning part of the line he says something that is a part of a group of. For example, he says that he belongs to the tribe of basketball players, cartoonist or even poverty. Junior realizes, he might feel like an outcast but he really isn't he has others that enjoy or are a part of the same things that he is. Junior finally after his whole life figures out that he isn't alone.

PTI #7, Question 4, Explain the humor/irony of the title of the chapter, “Rowdy and I Have a Long and Serious Discussion About Basketball.”

The title is humorous/ironic because they don't have a long discussion. Instead of being open about themselves as the title indicates they just exchange emails. Junior emailed Rowdy a sorry for beating you email. Then Rowdy responds with "We'll kick your ** next year". This is not long because it is a short e-exchange. It is not a very serious exchange because it is just trash talk. Although it is not very serious it is still important. It is important because even though Rowdy was inappropriate he was friendly. That implies that he and Junior might be friends again.

Quote to note: “I know that death is never added to death; it multiplies” (212). Nanako

Junior has been to so many funerals of people in his tribe that all of the grief builds up and explodes each time someone dies again. After fully realizing his sisters death and thinking to himself about others deaths Junior makes this statement. “I know that death is never added to death; it multiplies” (Alexie 212). He is saying that death isn't added on top of other deaths. All the other people who have passed away get remembered again and the death sparks the memories. Since Junior has experienced 42 funerals every time he goes through another death a burden is added. This sorrow multiplies with other forgotten burdens. This making it a much bigger burden because of remembering the loss of other loved ones. 

#7 Summarize the outcome of the game. Why does Junior cry at the end? What does he realize? (Siena)

In the basketball game, Reardan beats Wellpinit by 40 points, but after lots of celebration, Junior realizes that the kids at the rez didn't deserve what happened. The kids at the rez have tough lives. Their parents are alcoholics, they don't have food, and they don't have a good education. Junior realizes that by letting his anger run through him, he has stripped them of something that could have been a source of joy. He feels ashamed that he has opportunities that they don't, and that he let his hate get to him. After Junior wins, he glances over at the Wellpinit team and  feels guilty. "I suddenly wanted to apologize to Rowdy, to all the other Spokanes" (Alexie 196). Junior knows that those kids should have gotten better.

How did Junior make the basketball team? In what ways was this related to his conversation with his dad earlier? (Haziq)

Junior made the basketball team not only because he beat Roger 1 on 1, but because he was persistent and never gave up. While Junior was playing Roger, he lost multiple times. He pushed himself to try and do better which he knew he had to do to be able to make the basketball team. The coach of the team saw how Junior wasn’t giving up and knew that he would always stay positive. I have also had some personal experience in the kind of situation Junior was in so I could relate to this very well. Juniors dad says to him that  "You have to dream big to get big. (Alexie 136)". While Junior was trying out, he must have kept that in mind and what his dad said means to me is that if you want something good, you have to have hope. Junior did not let the fact that Roger was beating him multiple times get into his head. Just like his dad said, Junior wanted to be on the basketball team, and he dreamed he would be even though he thought he wouldn’t make it.