Throughout the novel, Junior struggles finding out where he fits in society. He hasn’t seen the bigger picture on how he is different from Rowdy and his tribe, and how his life has pulled him back from being the “nomad” Indian that he was meant to be. Junior is understanding what who he is once Rowdy brings up a word that used to classify their Indian ancestors. “I was reading this book about old-time Indians, about how we used to be nomadic… Hardly anybody on this rez is nomadic. Except for you. You’re the nomadic one… You’re and old-time nomad, you’re going to keep moving all over the world in search of food and water and grazing land. That’s pretty cool” (229-230). Rowdy’s claim of Junior being a nomad and being curious and taking big steps is supported, as Junior took the big leap by going to school at Reardon. Junior was able to take this risk unlike others because he has hope for a better future, which was the mindset of his old-time nomadic ancestor Indians. Junior realizes that Rowdy’s only thing left that he cares for is him. Rowdy understanding that Junior must go seek a new future outside the rez kills him, knowing that he will have nothing left. Junior is a “nomad” that is ready to go and seek a new and better future for himself, knowing that it will hurt him and the people he will have to leave behind to pursue this journey.
No comments:
Post a Comment