#1. What does Arnold hide and ultimately reveal in "Dance Dance Dance?" What does he learn? Be sure to discuss the final sentence on on page 129. (Nilu Cooper)
In the chapter "Dance Dance Dance" Arnold finally reveals that he is poor. He is surprised when his friends are still supportive and nice to him after they find out, as he describes on page 129. When Arnold tells Penelope that he is poor and that he does not have rides back from school she bursts into tears. Then, she tells her friend Roger, who kindly agrees to drive Arnold home that night, and many nights after that. This is why Arnold says "If you let people into your life a little bit, they can be pretty damn amazing." (Alexie 129). Arnold "let people into his life" by telling his friends the truth and they were "pretty damn amazing" because they were kind, understanding and caring in return. This teaches him that he has real friends who care about him no matter what. I think it also helped Arnold trust them more than he did before. His friends made Arnold feel loved even though he was different from them.
I agree. Arnold felt insecure and uncertain of his real friends, since Rowdy had broken up their friendship, which he valued. Because Junior feels this way, he feels he has to lie constantly about the fact his family is impoverished to maintain the friendships he has. The text says, "But the thing my stomach is all messed up because, I, er, forgot my wallet." (Alexie 126). This is an example of one of the excuses he comes up. Eventually the truth is revealed, and he learns who his true friends are that he can trust.
ReplyDeleteAdding on to the quote you chose from the book, "If you let people into your life a little bit, they can be pretty damn amazing" (Alexie 129). This shows that Arnold's grandmother was right, how Roger respected him. If you give people a chance to prove themselves good people, then you have a whole lot of friends. Arnold had a single story of white people in a sense, thinking that they hated Indians. Although Roger made a racist joke when he first met Arnold, he has learned more about Indians. Roger also had a single story about Indians. When two people have single stories about each other, then nobody will make friends.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Arnold did not expect the reaction that he got from Penelope or Roger after he said he was poor. The last time he told the truth to somebody(Rowdy), he was punched in the face. When Arnold tells the truth to his girlfriend she bursts out crying, not just because he was poor, but she felt terrible that she didn't know this the whole time. Even Roger was kind enough to lend Arnold $40 because he got the sense that Arnold was poor. Penelope explains, "Roger was the one who guessed you were poor" (Penelope 127). Penelope felt so sympathetic for her now boyfriend, she got roger to drive Arnold home most nights after that. She never wanted him to be freezing cold walking 22 miles. Arnold is finally except for his honesty, he made a group of friends because he told the truth.
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