Why does Junior Cry on page 216-217

Junior cries on page on 216-217 not only because of his family's deaths (including Eugene), but that he knew more and more of Spokanes would die the next and the year after. "I cried because so many of my fellow tribal members were slowly killing themselves and I wanted them to live."- this quote really shows no hope for the Spokanes. As long as they were still on the "rez" , there hopes and aspirations were slowly becoming less feasible. He cries because of the lack of hope. 

Last Line of the Book

    (We didn't keep score.)-229 Alexie, is the last line of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian. This quote is perfect for the situation and a great way to finish out the book. The word "Score' has a connotation that represents rules. The entire book is ruled by stereotypes. These stereotypes imprint all of the native american's lives and do not allow them to escape their social norms. If you look at the quote differently, it also means; let's forget about our grief and pains. Junior has had three recent deaths of his closest friends and families. These have hurt him greatly and he would rather forget them than anything else. 

Q1: Why does Rowdy tell Arnold, “You killed her” (211)? Is there truth to this statement? (Katherine)

Rowdy says that Mary's death was Junior's fault because it was Junior's courage that caused her to run away. On page 211 Junior states, "She had burned to death because I had decided that I wanted to spend my life with white people." (Alexie 211). Junior made the first moves in transferring to Rearden. He realized that there was no hope on the rez, and Mary decided to pursue hope elsewhere as well. It is partially true that Junior killed his sister because she used his plan of leaving the rez. However, there were many more decisions and events that caused Mary's death, such as her choosing to throw the party. Junior was also not the physical reason in Mary's death, it was the fire that killed her. Junior did have some play in Mary's death, but it was certainly not "all his fault".

#1. Why does Rowdy tell Arnold, "You killed her" (211)? Is there truth to this statement? (Philip)

Rowdy is convinced that Arnold "killed" Mary by motivating her to leave the reservation and go somewhere else for a better life. Rowdy thinks this way because, near the beginning of the story, Arnold decides to change schools and go to the Reardan school which is outside the reservation borders. Mary then thinks that Arnold is making the right decision because he was following his dreams. After a few weeks of Arnold being at Reardan, Mary decides to move to Montana with her newly wedded husband seeking a better life. A few months after Mary left, the family receives devastating news that she died from a fire in her home. The family decides to bring her body back to Spokane to be buried inside the reservation borders. While the wake is in progress, Arnold notices Rowdy in the forest and decides to go to him. As soon has he gets to him, Rowdy accuses Arnold of killing Mary,  "You killed her" (211) says Rowdy and Arnold realizes that Rowdy was right. Arnold was the one who encouraged Mary to move away from the reservation, "It was all my fault" (Alexie 211). If he stayed at the reservation, she would not have moved to Montana and would still be alive.

#4 Explain the humor/irony of the title of the chapter, "Rowdy and i had a long and serious discussion about basketball." (Hattie)

I think the irony about this chapter tile is that they barely talk about basketball. The conversation via email consisted of Rowdy saying that the Redskins will beat them next year, then he calls him a "faggot". I think that this conversation might have fixed the two peoples friendship. This is the first time that Rowdy laughed, or email laughed, with Arnold. At the end, Arnold stats "I was a happy faggot"(198), this means that he was happy because Rowdy was finally talking to him. There friendship will never be the same, but there "Long and serious discussion about basketball" might be the start.

#1 What is Arnold's greiving ceremony? What connection do you see between this and the picture on 166?

Arnold has a very complex grieving ceremony that begins with the death of his beloved grandmother when she is hit by a drunk driver. Arnold's first instinct in this incident is anger and hatred towards the man that hit his grandmother, but then at the wake all of that anger turns into immense sadness. The strangest part of his grieving ceremony is when everyone at the wake starts to laugh, they laugh as his grandmother's body is lowered and as they walk home, this is only a cover over their sadness, as shown in the picture on page 166. And after the laughing the news comes in the Eugene is shot in the face by a drunk man and the anger bubbles to the top of arnold again, "I felt helpless and stupid... And I drew and drew and drew cartoons. I was mad at god; I was mad at Jesus. They were mocking me, so I mocked them." (Alexie 171) Arnold is furious with god, and his anger only turns to a cloud of sadness when he goes back to school, and the opposite side of the picture on 166 comes out.

#5 Quotes to note, " I would always be an outsider."(Xavier)

In this story the protagonist Junior believes himself to be an outsider. In this quote, "I would always be an outsider."(Alexie 181) In this quote Junior is talking as the narrator. So he is pretty much talking to us. He says this when he is talking about the success of his basketball team. Also he says this when the Reardan people are starting to compare their team to the great teams of the past. The Reardan people are not comparing him to anyone because there is no one to compare him too. He is that different from everyone else that there is no one in the history of the school like him. The significance is that he will always be different just because he is an Indian. Even if he is a major part of the basketball team the People in Reardan will never treat him the same as other white kids.