After the disappointing loss at the beginning of the season, Reardan come back strong to beat Wellpinit. Not only do they beat Wellpinit, but they win by forty points. Arnold is overjoyed, thinking that Reardan, the underdog, was able to come out on top. Because of this, he is happily celebrating with his teammates. All of this stops when he realizes that "my team, the Reardan Indians, was Goliath.... Ok, so maybe my white teammates had problems, but none of their problems was life threatening (p.195)." This realization brings things back in to perspective for Arnold. He goes on to think about all of the life threatening situations the boys on the rez were in (hunger, fathers who were drunks or drug dealers). After this he starts to cry, ashamed of his reaction because he's been on the other side of that defeat before.
All of his Reardan teammates have lots of material possessions, are going off to college, and have stable situations at home. The Indian boys don't have any of that. Although Reardan felt like the underdog because of the loss early in the season, they were actually favored just because of the situations they live in. This simple fact makes Arnold regret his reaction to the win, and he even cries what his team thinks are tears of happiness, but are actually tears of shame. How should Arnold have handled the victory? Do you think his reaction was justified, or do you think he should have been more considerate because of the living situation on the rez?
I think that Arnold handled the victory the same way that the Wellpinit High School would have. He was proud and extremely happy. Honestly at the time this game was so important to him to prove something to everyone. He was always the lowly guy but now he's rose above that. The fact that he cried for his rez was very meaningful. The rez he felt ashamed for losing were the people that made his life terrible. They were the people that bullied him, called him names, and beat him up, but in the end the rez is his home. I think that there was no way for him to be more considerate to the Wellpinit team. He couldn't just lose for them. What do you think Arnold could have done to make the Wellpinit team feel better? Do you think there is a way?
ReplyDeleteArnold couldn't have done anything to make the Wellpinit team feel better, unless he lost the game. Even if Arnold went up to them and congratulated them and shook hands they wouldn't fell any better because the only thing that mattered to them then, was that they lost the game. However if Arnold's team didn't make such a show of winning, the Wellpinit team might have felt a little better, but only slightly. They might of felt better because it would show that they weren't a getting beat by a huge margin. Though that might help a little bit it wouldn't help a lot. Why do think that Reardan won after Arnold made his shot?
ReplyDeleteI think that Reardan won after Arnold made his one shot because they could tell that this game was really important for Arnold. This game was dedicated to and only for Arnold. His team realizes that this game matters and that Arnold has something to prove to Wellipint. If it wasn't for Arnold and his amazing block, the team would not have won the game. Arnold became a leader and showed that he had heart and that just because people do not like him, does not mean that he back down and give up. Arnold became tougher after this chapter. He also showed Rowdy up. Arnold needed to teach Rowdy a lesson and he did.
ReplyDeleteHow do you think Arnold and Rowdy's relationship will change after this basketball game?
Rowdy and Arnold's friendship will grow even farther apart, because Rowdy was broken and embarrassed that he lost to Arnold and his team. Rowdy knew he was going to get beaten that night and Rowdy thought it was all Arnold's fault. I think Arnold will try to make it up to Rowdy, but Arnold can even make up the fact that he transferred to Reardan. This friendship could potentially be over. Will Arnold try to solve the problem with Rowdy? Or will he be too scared to talk to Rowdy?
DeleteI think that the main reason why the Reardan team won after Junior's shot was because it gave them a little bit of a head-start, and maybe took a little bit of confidence out of the Wellpinit team and transferred that confidence to Arnold and his teammates. This is probably another reason for him to feel bad about winning against his old team. I think that his reaction to winning against Wellpinit should have been a little bit greater, because even if he did realize that the white peoples' problems weren't nearly as bad as the indians' problems, but he also should have noticed that, although it was just a game, it is probably all that these Indians have to look forward to! Rowdy's dad will even BEAT HIM just for losing! However the worst part is that even if he did try to apologize to Wellpinit, they wouldn't have accepted his apology, just like Rowdy didn't when Arnold tried to apologize to him (although the words "I'm so sorry we beat you so bad and that your season went to hell after that" would sound pretty sarcastic in an e-mail). Why do you think Rowdy was insulting him in a "friendly" way? How do you think Arnold picked up on that? Do you think he's right?
ReplyDeleteWow, that was longer than I thought it would be.
DeleteI think that Arnold was justified to celebrate (in the moment, that is) because he was caught in the euphoria of beating a rival. However it shows Arnold's strength of character that he was able to see through to the truth of the David-Goliath scales of the game. Arnold and Rowdy will probably come a little bit closer together after this. I think this is because Rowdy now has been forced into a new found respect for Arnold. Furthermore, after the email conversation between Arnold and Rowdy, you get the feeling that the tension between them is lessening. Additionally, it seems like Rowdy no longer totally resents Arnold for leaving the rez to go to Reardan.
ReplyDelete