After Junior's sister's funeral, he, overwhelmed with emotion, runs into the woods and crashes into Rowdy. Rowdy, who is also feeling sad, tells Junior "Your sister is dead because you left us. You killed her" (211). Rowdy says this because he is upset about all the loss the Rez has suffered, and doesn't know how to feel without Junior. Ever since Junior left the Rez Rowdy is lonely, and with the recent losses, mad about Arnold leaving too, and he wants to blame someone.
There is a little bit of truth in what Rowdy says because if Junior had never had the hope to leave the Rez and chase his dream, his sister would have never left to live out her's, and died as a result. However she if she hadn't left she would have stayed in her parent's basement forever, wasting away; perhaps even dying from similar causes, over using booze to live the crazy life she missed. But because she left she was able to experience freedom, hope, and, most importantly, live out her dream. She got to live the way no other Indian on the Rez did, so even if Junior leaving prompted her to leave, he did not cause her death, and Mary died living a life she loved.
Do you think Mary should have stayed on the Rez? How will his sister's death affect Junior and his future decisions? Why do you think Junior, his mom, and Rowdy (etc.) feel especially emotional over Mary's death? Do you think Mary's death was Junior's fault?
(I am assuming "What does rowdy say to Junior" was referring to this and not the nomadic comment).
I think Mary did the right thing and left the rez. I think the reason Mary was being such a hermit is because she did not have an opportunity to leave. I think she deserved to leave because her life would go nowhere if she had stayed at the rez. Earlier on in the book, Mr. P said that she had already given up and I think that it was only fair that Mary had gotten to have fun for that last few weeks of her life.
ReplyDeleteI agree with youI think Mary did the right thing when she left the reservation. I think she realized that if she stays in the basement locked away, she will miss her entire life. She realized that there was more opportunity in the real world. Arnold realized the same thing with the help of Mr. P, that there is more hope the farther you get from the reservation. When Mary died it showed the reader that when you take risks and try to accomplish your dreams there is doubt and stumbles along the way.
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I agree with both of you that Mary did the right thing of leaving the rez just like it was the right thing for Junior to go to Reardan. Both of them were chasing their dream and no matter if they completely reach their dream or not, they are getting closer and closer to reaching their happiest point. If both Mary and Junior stayed at the rez, they would have both lived an unhappy life because they would always live life regretting their choices. Even though Mary died, she died happier than she would have if she stayed in her family's basement. Ebook I agree with you that it shows the reader that you should always take appropriate risks and that you can always hit stumbles along the way.
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