Reading #8 - Why does Junior cry on pages 216 and 217?

Parker Lewis-Pierce
English 7B
11/14/18

             On pages 216 and 217, Junior cries because of grief for his sister, and the state of the world he lives in, particularly the reservation and other Indians. In the book, Junior was thinking about his sister at the graveyard with his parents when he said, "It made me all cry for my sister. It made me cry for myself"(Alexie 216). He follows that quote up with one that said, "But I was crying for my tribe too. I was crying because I knew five or ten of fifteen more Spokanes would die during the next year, and that most of them would die because of booze. I cried because so many of my fellow tribal members were slowly killing themselves and I wanted them to live"(Alexie 216). The first quote explains that he's crying because the recent death of his sister is too much for him. And the second quote explains how there's almost no hope for Indians, how they will just keep dying because of the world they live in, and that even though Junior wants them to live there's nothing he can do. In conclusion, Junior cries because of how the world he lives in just keeps killing Indians like Junior's sister, and there's nothing he or them can do.