Why is Junior hesitant to tell Rowdy? Why does he tell him? How does Rowdy react? Why does he react this way?
Sherman Alexie integrates this passage into the novel because he feels that if another obstacle faces Junior, this might impact his decision to leave the reservation. However, Arnold’s decision is complete. He will leave the so-called ”rez” to become a more impactful person, as well as fulfill his potential. At first, Arnold is hesitant to tell his best friend Rowdy that he is transferring to Reardan Academy because he believes that Rowdy will be quite mad and beat him up. Nevertheless Junior does tell Rowdy. He confesses to Rowdy because even though he is strong and powerful, he still realizes, in his own words, “how much of my self-worth, my sense of safety, was based on Rowdy’s fists”{68}. After the confession, Rowdy gets riled up. He starts crying and all of the sudden, yells at the top of his lungs. Rowdy’s eyes are now filled with dried up tears, with another large shout he yells ” You always thought you were better than me”{52}. Junior tries to apologize, but Rowdy, his ex best friend, is now his sworn enemy. Rowdy reacts this way because he is jealous; He is jealous because Arnold is the only Native American left with hope. All the people that are close to him on the reservation, Rowdy, his mom, his dad, his older sister Mary , all stopped believing in their dreams a while back. Junior is the only individual on the ”rez” who can reach his dreams.
Do you think Junior and Rowdy will ever make up?
Will this passage affect Junior’s identity?
If so, how will it affect it?
How do you think Arnold will manage without his best friend Rowdy?
Is Junior ready to live life without Rowdy?
I don't think Junior is ready to live without Rowdy. In the novel Junior confesses how Rowdy is by far his favorite person in the world, even over his parents and family. Rowdy and Junior did almost everything together, they both only had each other for friends. They both would probably die for each other, and when Junior makes this one decision and hurts Rowdy's feelings, I don’t think that that one fight could possibly ruin their friendship after everything they have been through together. They were closer than family, if that is even possible. Hopefully one fight between them wouldn’t destroy all they have done together.
ReplyDeleteI think that there was a little foreshadowing that something would break up the friendship and I also think now that that has happened Arnold might make new friends over time. In the beginning I think Arnold will have trouble being without Rowdy and I think that at one point they could rekindle their friendship to what it once was.I also wonder if Rowdy feels any regret right now and wants to forgive him but he doesn't want to look like a "wuss".
ReplyDeleteRowdy was a major part in Junior's life and I think it will affect him greatly. They had been friends for a long time and had gone through a lot. Rowdy always backs Junior up when someone picks on him. For example he stood up for Junior when the Andrus brothers fought him. Rowdy shaved the brothers eyebrows and cut their hair, to stand up for Junior. On page 16, Junior said, “Nobody would miss me if I were gone. Well, Rowdy would miss me, but he’d never admit that he’d miss me.” This is showing that Rowdy is very close to Junior. This is shown because Junior tells the reader that besides Rowdy the only people that would miss him were his family members. I’m not sure if they will make up or not after this fight because it was a huge plummet for there friend ship. I could tell this was a really big fight because Rowdy let out emotion. In earlier chapters, Junior told the reader that Rowdy is tough and doesn’t show much emotion and he was crying during this fight.
ReplyDeleteFor fourteen years, Junior has deeply relied on Rowdy for support. This support is not fit to evade from tangibility in one day. Junior is not ready to live without Rowdy. He already experiences internal pain, inflicted by white kids at Reardan. Rowdy was not only a friend that avenged Junior, he also helped balance Arnold's internal instabilities. After punching Roger the Giant at school, Junior sets himself aside to contemplate fights that could occur tomorrow. During this time, he longs for a continuing friendship with Rowdy, "I wished Rowdy was still my friend. I could have sent him after Roger" (67). Sherman Alexie includes this quote to show the inseparable relationship between these two characters. If Rowdy were still a friend of Junior's, he would most likely advise him to stop apprehending of a time a whole sun away. Rowdy would most likely fight Roger for him. Though externally Rowdy is an enemy, on the inside, he is still someone who Junior looks up to for protection, friendship and support.
ReplyDeleteTo answer Henzo's question, I do not think Rowdy is at all rueful. Throughout the novel, Junior repetitively addresses Rowdy's disdain for white people. On page 53, the cartoon illustrates Rowdy's reaction to the news of Junior transferring schools. Note that he says "'WHITE LOVER!"'
If Rowdy were still a friend of Juniors, what do you think he would say to him when Junior explains his fight with Roger?
Rowdy is the only reason why Junior isn't being beat up on a day to day bases. Without him Junior will have a tough time dealing with bullies at school, especially when he is going to a new White kid school. Not only that, Rowdy has been friends with Junior for a really long time. Losing something that you have had for so long is really hard to overcome. But, I think Junior will make friends with someone at his new school because there are probably other nerds like him at Rearden.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI think it depends because earlier in the book, Junior explains how much Rowdy means to him and without Rowdy his confidence and hope wouldn't be there. "How much of my self-worth, my sense of safety, was based on Rowdy’s fists”{68}.Till now, Rowdy has built him up by fighting for him and having his back. But now, Junior has to find his own path independently without Rowdy because he is the only one that has a little hope left. Everyone else is drained of hope and at this stage they seem to have no chance of retrieving that. Rowdy is envious of Junior. Junior knows he's smarter and also rowdy knows he has been used a little by Junior. Junior has to continue up his path and figure out his true identity and how to deal with white people and the ones who have hope. Junior will have to take his real inside feelings and show them to everyone. He has to stand up for what he thinks is right. He has to show leadership so the people know what he is like. This will be a struggle for him without a strong guy like Rowdy hanging around.
ReplyDeleteI think Junior will not be able to make up with Rowdy because he has officially decided to go to the white school. I think this passage made Junior a lot more self-confident about himself because he made all the white kids respect him. I think that Rowdy will have a harder time without Junior than Junior having a harder time without Rowdy. This is because Junior was the only person Rowdy really had left, the only one true friend and companion in his life. I think that Junior will not really need Rowdy to help him against the white kids, but I think he will need him to defend against all the indians at home.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Junior and his best friend, Rowdy, are through with their relationship. I also think that Sherman Alexie is trying to make the reader(us) think a little. He wants to bring a certain suspense to the book. Next, I believe that Junior and Rowdy going in different directions right now affects Junior struggling to find his identity greatly. It is like how Junior moving away from the reservation affected him. This is changing his life almost completely, and in fact moving him farther away from the reservation. In the past, Junior has greatly depended on Rowdy for protecting him. Now that Rowdy and Junior are going in opposite directions, Junior must find a way to protect himself. He is learning how to do this clearly because Junior punches Roger, the "head jock" and Roger walks away kind of frightened. By doing this, Junior has earned a mutual respect that may keep him from getting into fights in the future.
ReplyDeleteI don't think Arnold and Rowdy will ever be able to make up. He has already betrayed the all the Indians on the Rez. I think Junior is more confused with his identity after reading this. The reason I think this is because that he doesn't even know what he likes to be called. However I do think that Arnold will be able to live without Rowdy. Rowdy was his best friend but Rowdy was also rowdy and out of control. The problem with living without Rowdy is he has nobody to protect him when somebody tries to beat him up. He just needs to stand up for himself and he will be fine.
ReplyDelete