Junior’s grandmother’s greatest gift was tolerance. Not all of the Indians had tolerance, so this made her special. Once the white people showed up and took over, the Indians were pushed around too much. “Of course, ever since white people showed up and brought along their Christianity and their fears of eccentricity, Indians have gradually lost all of their tolerance” (155). The Indians lost their sense of tolerance because they cracked under pressure. If you keep on hammering away at a castle with a needle, eventually, perhaps thousands of years later, that castle will be destroyed by that tiny thing. Everything will wear down eventually, and when the whites came and drove the Indians off of their land, they couldn’t bear it in the end. But Junior’s grandmother stuck to her "old-time Indian spirit" (155), and so she cares for everyone, not being as judgmental and hateful as a white person. Her identity is a very traditional, thoughtful, and loving Indian grandma.
How does his grandmother’s gift personally affect Junior and his identity? Has it affected his family? If so, how? Do you think there is any foreshadowing? How can his grandmother’s gift affect herself badly? Speaking of accepting people for who they are and not judging based on personality or appearance, do you think any of the white people at Reardan have that "old-time Indian spirit" in them as well?
Many students at Reardan have the "old-time Indian spirit." Two examples of such role models are Penelope and Roger. Both of these characters are friends of Junior's, even though others are dubious of his personality and lifestyle. They take the initiative to befriend Arnold so he can relocate his lost identity in an overwhelmed sea of whites. The "old-time Indian spirit" refers to the open-mindedness, hospitality, and kindness of Indians before others poisoned their innocuous attitudes. Penelope and Roger both depict this "old-time Indian spirit" because they dissent against stereotypes and give the courage to smoothen Junior's experience transitioned from an Indian school to white. On the long run, through this kindness and courage, Junior will discover his identity and learn to respect his differences, while learning that his race will not hamper ALL peoples views of him.
ReplyDeleteHow would the plot have changed if Junior's grandmother did not have the "old-time Indian spirit"?
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ReplyDeleteBefore, Junior's grandmother was just a confident supporter of his in the background; now, though, she and her "old-time Indian spirit" are coming through and aiding Junior while he is dealing with the kids at Reardan. Before, she helped Junior puzzle out his first encounter with Roger, and we now learn that it was his grandmother who pushed him and rekindled his spark to escape the rez, that she was the only person who thought it was a good idea. (Going to Reardan was a big step for Junior in terms of finding his identity, so in a quiet way, his grandmother is helping him along with that as well.) To answer Ava’s question, if his grandmother didn’t have the “old-time Indian spirit”, the whole novel would be altered; in those first few days at Reardan without any friends, his grandmother is what kept him going, what helped him see the positive in his situation. Without her, he might have given up. Junior says his grandmother listens to him and accepts him even when others think he’s “weird”. He could tell always count on her to be there for him. In addition, while Junior was arriving with his Reardan teammates on the rez, he admits, “Still, I probably would have turned around if I hadn’t seen my mom and dad and grandma waiting… And there they were, ready to catch more… for me. Ready to go through more... with me.” (143)
ReplyDeleteNow that his grandmother's past away, where will he turn to for support? How will his Reardan life be affected by this?