Native American Life
What is the name of the place where most Native Americans live?
Reservation (rez)
What is one physical character trait that causes Junior to get bullied by others?
Answers may vary
What event causes Junior to leave Wellpinit High school?
He throws a textbook because he is angry that it is so old and hits Mr.P his math teacher, who then tells him he must leave the rez to find hope.
What does this quote mean?
"My parents came from poor people, who came from poor people, who came from poor people, all the way back to the very first poor people."
-poverty creates a generational cycle of struggle
-hope feels impossible when you have struggled for generations in your family.
Whose point of view is the story told from?
Junior
What is one struggle Native Americans face living on reservations?
Answers will vary
Who is the character who is described as angry at the world because he is abused by his drunk father at home?
Rowdy
What does Junior learn about Penelope that leads to her trusting him and eventually dating him.
He hears her throwing up in the bathroom one day at school and tells her not to give up. He sees her pain.
What does this quote mean?
"I think the world is a series of dams and broken floods, and my cartoons are tiny little lifeboats."
That even in hopeless situations there is something positive that can help people survive.
What is the tone of the novel?
What is the definition of assimilation?
to make the same
Who is the character who encourages Junior to leave the Rez to find hope?
Mr.P
What does Roger do for Junior at the dance that reveals he is generous?
He lends Junior forty dollars to pay for his and Penelope's food at the Pancake house.
What does this quote mean?
"There are all kinds of addicts, I guess. We all have pain. And we all look for ways to make the pain go away."
This quote means that everyone has a struggle and at different points may deal with it in an unhealthy or hurtful way. Even people with all the opportunity in the world face challenges.
Why do the Native Americans on the rez call Junior an apple?
They are referencing that he is a traitor for going to Rearden, they are saying that even though he may look Indian he is white on the inside.
What is one example of how Indian Boarding schools forced Native Americans to assimilate to Eurocentric culture.
Answers will vary
Why is it unexpected that Penelope is bulimic?
It is unexpected because she is beautiful and popular, so you wouldn't imagine she is insecure about her looks since so many people envy her.
What event causes Junior to realize that helping others can make you feel good about yourself?
On Halloween, he collects spare change for the poor instead of trick-or-treating for candy.
What does the following quote reveal about why Native Americans struggle to escape poverty?
"Mary writes, "But how can I get enough experience if they don't give me a chance to get experience?"
This reveals Native Americans can't escape poverty because no one will give them resources of opportunities making it impossible to move forward from the pain of the past.
What do Gordy and Rowdy have in common according to Junior?
They are both tough
What is an example of how Native Americans' identity has changed because of the struggles they face on Reservations?
Native Americans feel hopeless and disillusioned that they can escape the struggles because they have been happening within their families for generations.
How is Junior changing as a character throughout the novel?
Answers may vary
What event leads to coach putting Junior on the varsity basketball team at Rearden?
At tryouts Junior doesn't give up when he faces challenges, he is committed to running longer than other kids and playing his hardest even when he is matched up against Roger who is a better athlete than he is.
What does this quote Coach says to Junior reveal?
"The quality of a man's life is in direct proportion to his commitment to excellence, regardless of his chosen field of endeavor."
This quote reveals that to truly be successful you must be committed to what you want to achieve and that is what will truly make you a success.
What do cartoons symbolize for Junior and Rowdy in the novel?
They symbolize hope.