When Junior goes for basketball tryouts, he is very nervous. "On the first day of practice, I stepped onto the court and felt short, skinny, and slow,"(136) says Junior. Junior doesn't think that he's good enough to make varsity or junior varsity - "I knew for sure I wouldn't make those teams. I was C squad material, for sure,"(138) he says - but the coach quickly changes the game for him. "'In other years, we've also had a twelve-man C squad...But we don''t have the budget for it this year. That means I'm going to have to cut sixteen players today.'" Junior quickly realizes that he will have to be good enough or not get on the team. He tries his hardest as he runs the laps and soon it is time for full-court one-on-one. When he goes up against Roger "the Giant" and falls, the coach recognizes him from the eight-grade team on the reservation, because he was "'a good shooter'"(140). He asks Junior if he wants a break. "Ninety percent of me wanted to take the break. But I knew if I took that break I would never make the team,"(140) Junior thinks. Junior ends up making varsity because of his perseverance. When convincing him to sign up for basketball, Junior's dad's advice was "'You have to dream big to get big'"(136). This is related to the way that Junior made the team because Junior wanted to make the team really badly, so he tried really hard and he achieved his goal. His "dream" was to make basketball, so he put everything he had into it, and he "got" it.
During the game, Rowdy was the main reason why Junior had to go to the hospital. Do you think that there is any chance of them becoming best friends again? Do you think the reservation community will ever accept Junior again? How did the support of the Reardan team and their coach impact Junior when facing off against his community? How do you think the game might have gone differently if it was at Reardan?
During the game, Rowdy was the main reason why Junior had to go to the hospital. Do you think that there is any chance of them becoming best friends again? Do you think the reservation community will ever accept Junior again? How did the support of the Reardan team and their coach impact Junior when facing off against his community? How do you think the game might have gone differently if it was at Reardan?
To answer Samiha's third question, I think the support of his Reardan team and their coach impacted Junior when facing off against his community by having his back. He had earned his team's and and his coaches respect on the court. He was coach's "Weapon of Mass Destruction"(142). His coach is like a father to him, his coach cares about Junior, and unlike many whites in Rearden, he is not a racist. When Rowdy elbowed Junior in the face, making him unconscious and giving him a minor concussion, his teammates got up and defended him, pushing and shoving. It might not have been a good idea to fight the other team, but it is an act of companionship and trust between his teammates and Junior. His team is like a family to him, always having his back, so now I think Junior, who is an outsider in many places, finally has somewhere he can call home. Do you think that this relationship between Junior and his team will last?
ReplyDeleteThe answer to your last question ties in a bit to the question before that, where it asks about the support given by his team and coach. To sum up both, I think that his coach's support, and his teams really helped him through that night. His coach cared so much about him that he spent a good chunk of the time just sitting with Junior to make him feel better. Anyway, back to the initial question. The supportiveness of his peers and school at Reardan would have blown a hole in Welpinit's mean streak. Looking back to the actual game, most of what hurt so bad for Junior was the crowd's hatred towards him. At home, there wouldn't be any of that, just his friends from school cheering him on. This would have encouraged him even more, and they probably would've won, not being dragged down by the mean fans of Welpinit. Why do you think that Welpinit was so violent towards Junior? Why was Rowdy? Even though they were best friends, he still obviously has some caring feelings still towards Junior, so why did he hurt him? Have you ever been in a situation like the one Junior was in during the game?
ReplyDeleteTo answer Samiha's last question, I think that if the game was at Reardan, they would have won. One factor was the quarter. Someone (probably from the Rez) through a quarter at Arnold's head so he was bleeding and could not play. Then the referees were an issue too. They were afraid of the already angry indians so they gave the Rez team several foul shots and kicked the Reardan coach out of the game! Had the game been at Reardan without the intimidating crowd, the refs wouldn't have been biased and the quarter wouldn't have been thrown so Arnold would have played and Reardan would keep the lead.
ReplyDeleteWhen Arnold walked in to the court and the room fell silent, did anyone think of a similar scene in the movie Mean Girls?
All of the girls in the High School are in the gym and the protagonist, Cady walks in and the room goes silent. (Text to text connection!) Has a similar (maybe less dramatic) thing happened to you? How did it feel/how would you feel? What did/would you do?
Question 1: No. No no no no no.
DeleteQuestion 2: I honestly think that that happens a bit for me and for all of us when we're about to get up and do something like sing, speak, or perform in public, as you don't really know what's going to happen, or if they're going to like you. If that makes sense.
In response to Samiha's first question, I do think that Junior and Rowdy can become friends again (but not necessarily best friends). There are two reasons for this argument. First, the main reason Rowdy hurts Junior is because he thinks he is a "white lover" (53), again relating to the theme of identity collision: it is not because of some innate hatred that Rowdy injures Junior, but because of his own racism against whites. Second, it is clear that Rowdy still respects Junior, because while he does flip Junior off when he gives him a cartoon as a gift, he does not rip it up, "as much as he hated [Junior]" (103). Both of these facts indicate that Junior and Rowdy could still be friends. If this does happen, what do you think the circumstances of their friendship will be? In other words, will they be as close as before?
ReplyDeleteI feel that the relationship between Junior and his team will last because they are teammates, they stick together. Coach picked Arnold because of his commitment, not just for his good shooting, so his team knows that he will not give up on them. It was Junior's dream to make it on the varsity basketball team, and he won't give up now and let his whole dream go. It is a support-support relationship, there is nothing bad about it. Therefore, there is no reason why they should have harsh feelings toward each other. Do you agree? Do you think that they will be friendly and supportive toward each other for the rest of the season and for future activities?
ReplyDeleteTo answer Samiha's first question, I do think that Rowdy and Arnold may become friends again. They were friends for 14 years; I don't think that they can just leave each other behind, especially when they live so close together. But I also think that if Arnold and Rowdy don't become as close friends as they used to be, I think they will never lose sight of what they did for each other and the special bond they have. I also think that the reservation won't forgive Junior because they take their culture very seriously. This means that since Junior betrayed his people, I don't think that his tribe/the rez will forgive him. If Junior and Rowdy become friends again, how will it happen? If the people from the reservation don't forgive Junior, do you think that Junior, and possibly his family, will move off the rez?
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure that Arnold and rowdy will ever be BEST friends again but I do think that Rowdy is too important to Arnold to just give up on trying to get back their friendship. Rowdy and Arnold went so well together, like peanut butter and jelly. It would be so sad to see their friendship disappear.
ReplyDeleteRowdy feels like Arnold has betrayed him, that's how the reservation community feels. He has left them and so even if he did come back which he made pretty clear when he was leaving cannot happen.
He will never be part of their community again, not after what he has done. He made them feel like they aren't good enough, that is probably why rowdy is so mad. Once you leave you can never come back... He has "become white" by trying to make is life better as mentioned in the previous reading.
If rowdy and Arnold ever become friends again, do you think it will happen as a result of rowdy responding to one of Arnold's gestures or as a result of rowdy coming to Arnold asking for forgiveness/ giving forgiveness