During his moments of grief, Junior laughs so much ^ because he is realizing how lucky and happy he is and should be that he still has parts of his family. This sort of fits into the 5th stage of grieving over death, acceptance. He has accepted the fact that he's indian, that his culture has issues with alcohol, and now he's happy that he still has the people in his life that he does have. Those people may include: His mom, dad, Rowdy, Penelope, Gordy, and other assorted people. One more explanation is that he is so sick and tired of going to funerals and having people die that he has gone a bit crazy from it, and now, he can't cry, he can only laugh, maybe at how crazy and terrible his life is. A few of the assorted times he breaks out in HEAVY impromptu laughter are: [But you're alive. I laughed and laughed. I couldn't stop laughing. I felt like I might die of laughing, 204] This is on the car-ride home, when he has just received the news his sis is dead. Another time is [I started pounding the dashboard and stomping on on the floor. I was going absolutely insane with laughter, 206] This is in the same car-ride, when he spits out a bit of cantaloupe. One more is [He was my best friend and I needed him. But I couldn't stop laughing. I looked at Rowdy and he was crying hard now, 210] This is when Junior runs into Rowdy after the funeral, and feels so sad, but can't stop laughing.
1: Do you view a funeral as a time to remember what a person has done, or be sad over what more they could have done?
2: Why does Rowdy insist that Mary dying is Junior's fault?
3: Do you think it WAS Junior's fault in any way?
4: Based on this reading, do you think that Alcohol Abuse is a main issue in this book? Why?
5: Why was Rowdy watching Mary's funeral?
I personally believe that a funeral is a time to remember what the person has done, and look back and appreciate it, not to wonder what if. When Rowdy insists that Mary dying is Junior's fault he means that because Junior left the rez and took a risk, Mary felt inclined to do the same so she didn't look layed back. I think that it wasn't Junior's fault that Mary died because even though his actions encouraged her to move, he wasn't the resean why she got drunk and had a party. I think that Rowdy was watching Mary's funeral because he has known her for as long as he has known Junior (for a very long time), and they were "friends", so would you blame him for going to a friend's funeral? Do you think that it was Junior's fault that Mary died? Who (if anyone) influenced Mary to take risks? Do you think that it is ironic that everyone's way to honor a drunken death is by getting drunk?
ReplyDeleteRowdy insists that Mary's death was 100% Junior's fault for a couple of reasons. First of all I think that Rowdy was hurt by Mary's death almost as much as Junior. Rowdy had always been a part of Junior's family. Rowdy was not treated well with his own family, but was welcomed by Arnold's family, therefore, Mary felt like a sister to Rowdy. Secondly, Rowdy was still very angry at Junior and still believed that what Junior had done was wrong. I do not think that Arnold thought that he was in the wrong, or had a clear understanding of why other people believed him to be wrong. Rowdy wanted to make in clear that Arnold was wrong. Rowdy decided to come up with a harsh reason to prove Arnold wrong.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Rowdy was watching Mary's funeral because he too felt a connection with her. Him and Junior had grown up together so in a way, Mary may have felt like a big sister to Rowdy as she did to Junior. Mary had watched Rowdy grow up. Also, although Rowdy was still mad at Junior, deep inside him he still cared deeply for Junior and wanted to be there for him to support him through this hard time. The reason he tried to punch Junior, was because he was not used to expressing his feelings and didn't know how to be supportive. "'I ain't crying,' he said. 'You're crying'" (210). Rowdy had never cried before and felt very vulnerable. A question I would like to ask is do you think that all of the hard times that Junior has gone through has made his and Rowdy's friendship stronger?
ReplyDeleteTo answer Dylan's first question, I think that funerals are a time to remember what a person has done, not to be sad over what more they could have done. I think this because funerals are to remember, remember the person, remember the memories, remember the life that person had. It is supposed to be a happy-sad moment, where you are sad for the death, but happy remembering the good times you had throughout the persons life. You should not think of funerals as a time where you brainstorm what more they could have done in their lives, because funerals are to honor, not to show the cons of their life. That is not a good way to remember someone that has passed away. If you love the person who passed away, you will be thinking about the good, the funny, the crazy times, not criticize them on what they could have done. Do you think Junior was remembering the good times and memories that he had with Mary, or looking at the things Mary should have or could have done in her life?
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