Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Question #2: What is Mr. P's advice to Junior? Why does he give this advice? (Eliza)
Junior's teacher, Mr. P, tells him that he should leave the "rez", and stay away from it forever. Mr. P is a white man who has been cruel to many Indian children before, and has realized how awful he's treated them. When he apologized to Junior for treating him and those before him badly, Junior was surprised. He thought that Mr. P was mad at him for throwing a book, but now he was apologizing to him? Mr. P explains to Junior what his life could be like. Most of the Indian children on the rez give up hope, and just become alcoholics or drug addicts like their parents. Mr. P remembers Junior's older sister, who was a smart student and wanted to be a writer, but never had the courage to tell anyone. She gave up hope, and spends her days in the basement. Although his sister gave up, Mr. P sees hope in Junior, believing that he deserves better. He thinks that if Junior leaves the rez, he will have a better life. As they are talking, Mr. P says, "You have to take your hope and go somewhere where other people have hope" (Alexie 43). Almost everyone has lost hope on the rez, even Junior's best friend Rowdy. Mr. P believes in Junior, and encourages him to leave the rez permanently for his own good.
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Mr. P encourages Junior to leave the "rez" for his own good, but he also does it for the next generation of Indians. According to Mr. P, "they are going to kill you. I am going to kill you. We are all going to kill you. You can't fight us forever." (Alexie 43). All of the white people are going to kill off the entire Indian population. Mr. P is saving him and his family, and their family, and so on down the tree. Mr. P also chose him for a reason. He is insanely tough, yet nobody notices. "You've been fighting since you were born. You fought off that brain surgery. You fought off those seizures. You fought off all the drunks and addicts. You kept your hope." (Alexie 43). Mr. P believes that he is the only one that has enough strength and hope to carry on the next generation of Indians.
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ReplyDeleteMr. P wants Junior to leave the “rez” to keep the hope he fought so hard for. Mr. P helps Junior realize that’s he has been fighting to keep his hope since he was a baby. Mr. P states “Mary was a bright and shinning star, … And then she faded year by year until you could barely see her anymore.”(Alexie 40). Mr. P doesn’t want Junior to give up on his hope like the rest of the Indian community has. He wants Junior to keep his hope before it gets broken down by all the people who have lost hope. As Mr. P states “All these kids have given up, …We’re all defeated.”(Alexie 42). Mr. P believes the only way for Junior to keep his hope as well as to see his dreams succeed is for Junior to move as far away from the “rez” as he can. Mr. P wants to right all his wrongs by saving the last bit of hope in the “rez” and making sure it doesn’t get destroyed, so that it will carry on to the next generation.