#7. Summarize the cartoon on 182. What is the significance? What does it show about Junior? What is his dilemma? (Maddy S.)

The cartoon on page 182 shows the difference between how Junior is treated playing basketball at the Wellpinit gym and how Junior is treated playing at the Reardan gym. In the Wellpinit gym, Junior depicts himself as a devil because the Indians treat him like a traitor and devil. This is proven when it says “The rez basketball fans were chanting, ‘Ar-nold sucks! Ar-nold sucks! Ar-nold sucks!’” (Alexie 143).  This is different from the the picture of him at the Reardan gym, where he is depicted as an angel, because everyone at Reardan treats him like a hero and an angel. Junior is a talented basketball player and an amazing shooter, so Reardan is proud to have him on the team. He is even interviewed by a news reporter! This is shown when it says “everybody, even Coach, came up to me and patted my head or shoulder, or bumped fists with me, or gave me a hug.” (Alexie 186). In other words, the difference between the way people treat Junior in Wellpinit versus in Reardan is that people in Reardan respect Junior. Because of this, he would need to win this game to prove the people on the rez and in Wellpinit wrong. He would need to show them that he wouldn’t be stopped because of their verbal, and sometimes physical, attacks on him. All of this is the deeper meaning of this cartoon.