Characters & people
The narrator and main character who lives on the Spokane reservation.
Junior
The place where Junior lives — it’s named after a city and is on a reservation.
Spokane Indian reservation
The object Junior throws that smashes into Mr. P’s face and breaks his nose.
The geometry book
Finish this Mr. P quote about Junior’s worth: “You are a good kid. You deserve the ___.”
World
How does Junior feel when Mr. P tells him he deserves better?
Surprised and emotional (he wants to cry because no teacher has ever said something so kind)
Junior’s best friend who often fights back and gets black eyes from his father.
Rowdy
Why do the students on the rez have to study from the same geometry books as their parents?
Because the reservation and tribe are so poor
The immediate consequence for Junior after he throws the book at Mr. P.
Being suspended from school
The phrase Mr. P uses repeatedly to describe the reservation’s atmosphere (three words, repeated).
Sad, sad, sad
Why does Junior cry during his talk with Mr. P?
Because he feels weak, guilty, and touched by Mr. P’s kindness
The teacher who consoles Junior, says “You deserve better,” and urges him to leave the reservation.
Mr. P
The smell Mr. P carries when he leans close to Junior — a list of five things.
Onions, garlic, hamburger, shame, and pain
The reason Junior is angry enough to throw the book.
That his book had belonged to his mother and the students must use the same books as their parents because of poverty
The arithmetic metaphor Mr. P uses to describe hope — what does Junior have to do with his hope?
“add my hope to somebody else’s hope”
(or “multiply hope by hope”)
Why is Rowdy protective of Junior, even though he hurts other kids?
Because Junior is the only good thing in his life, the one thing he hasn’t given up
The person who originally owned Junior’s geometry book.
Junior's mother
Junior’s humorous hyperbolic description of where the reservation is (two landmarks and crazy distances).
“one million miles north of Important, and two billion miles west of Happy”
The secret instruction Mr. P makes Junior promise not to repeat to anyone.
That Junior must leave the reservation forever
The reason Junior can’t say he “deserves better” at first — what does he believe about himself?
He doesn’t deserve it because he’s the kid who threw books at teachers?
What emotion/action does Mr. P show that surprises Junior, since he’s never seen a sober adult do it before?
Crying
The author of the text.
Sherman Alexie
The concrete warning Mr. P gives Junior about staying on the rez — phrased as a threat to Junior’s safety.
“If you stay on this rez ... they’re going to kill you. I’m going to kill you. We’re all going to kill you.”
Mr. P’s explanation for why Rowdy hurts people — what has Rowdy done (emotionally) that leads to hurting others?
He has given up and wants others to feel as bad as he does?
The heavy, ironic burden Mr. P places on Junior — the line about what Junior is carrying for his race.
“I was carrying the burden of my race”
What is the main motivation behind Mr. P urging Junior to leave the reservation?
That he wants Junior to keep his hope alive and escape the hopelessness and defeat that others have accepted