2# Who is the first game against? How is he treated by the crowd the first game? How does the team (and coach) react/support him? How does this impact him? (Luis)
Arnold is being brutalized by the opposing team but when he decides to play his teammates and coach soon realize what he is doing is braze. Arnold is ecstatic that he made the varsity team but soon realizes his first game is against his own people. When he arrives to Wellpinit High School (his old school) for his first game he is cursed out, called a traitor and brutalized by the opposing students in hopes to make him quit. This is because of his transfer to Rearden. No, this only made him stronger “You don’t have to play if you dont want to,” coach said. “Yes I do,” I said” (Alexie 143). Junior’s Idea was respected by his teammates and coach, and thought of as brave. Soon after that he was injured but decided to come back with some advice previously given by his coach, “If you care about something its going to make you cry. But you have to use it... Get mad Arnold” (Alexie 144). Arnold used this advice and played his heart out until he was elbowed in the head and put in the hospital. Even though nothing came out good from this experience Arnold still tried his best even when everyone was cheering against him.
Arnold had several reasons for being motivated to play at the basketball game even after he was hit in the head with the quarter. First of all, his family and some others were there to see him play, and to cheer him on. He had made a few friends at Rearden, and since in a way, he was representing the school, he did not want to misrepresent his friends. Finally, by winning he could almost prove a point to his former classmates from Wellpinit: maybe him transferring to Rearden was not such a bad idea. If he won the game, maybe they would be more obligated to see that his personality hadn’t really changed since his transfer. After he was hit, his family and friends gave up on the game. His dad’s friend, Eugene, told him “You’ll get them next time” with what he thought to be a sufficient amount of hope (Alexie 146). Junior had a better idea: “You stitch me up. I want to play tonight” (Alexie 146). Perhaps if Junior had not been knocked unconscious after the second time he was hit, he would have gone back in again. All of this illustrates his ability not to give up on changing people’s minds.
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