When people can’t accept their past, they can’t live in the present.This deprives them of succeeding in the future. ‘Boy 21’ and ‘The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian’ are two texts that are very interconnected. The narrator’s have similar passions and characteristics. Not only do they both love basketball, but they are both also mocked in school... because they are a contrast to their peers. No matter how hard they try to camouflage with their surroundings, they are spotted almost everywhere they go. A common theme in both these texts is that the key to success… is a person’s ability to withstand pain and accept who he is. Sherman Alexie and Matthew Quick mention basketball very frequently in their novels. Basketball is a sport that helps these narrators forget about their past, live in the present, and not be afraid of the future. Furthermore, Basketball helps Junior and Finley get over their sorrows and accept who they are. People call the narrator of Boy 21 “White Rabbit”, yet he does not stop them or complain. He is made fun of and ignored because he’s White. In ‘The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian’, the narrator is unnoticed and mocked because he’s Black. In ‘The Absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian’, the narrator (Junior) compares his social status, physical appearance and basketball abilities to other kids that go to Reardan. “White- The latest Air Jordans. Wristwatch. Backpack. Indian- Glad garbage book bag. No watch. Canvas tennis shoes (purchased in aisle 7 of Safeway Supermarket).”Hence, he does not only feel insecure and jealous but also feels that he can never succeed in life because of his physical appearance and social status. In ‘Boy 21’, the narrator constantly compares his basketball skills to others. Hence, he messes up a few games. The evidence points to the idea that when people can’t accept who they are, they can’t succeed in life.
I also think that there is a difference in these two texts. In ‘Boy 21’, Finley (the narrator) “started to feel a little jealous of this kid (Boy 21), because I’ve never been anywhere but Bellmont and he’s (Boy 21) been all over the world, which doesn’t really seem fair. At first, I thought that when a person can’t accept who he is, friendships suffer because jealousy may creep in. In ‘The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian’, Junior plays basketball against his best friend. He plays basketball against his old school. “I emailed Rowdy and told him I was sorry that we beat them so bad and that their season went to hell after this.”Now I am thinking that friendships might suffer, because of circumstances, even if a person accepts who he is. In ‘The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian’, Junior wasn’t jealous of his old school friend (Rowdy). However, he had to play against him and win. A win for his team. A win for his family. A win for himself.
Some readers might think that if a person doesn’t accept who he is, he can succeed. That person will always want to try and become better than what he is. This will push him to work hard. However, a person should know where to draw the line. If he always thinks that he is not good at anything, he can get extremely demotivated. This can lead to depression. Something that is very challenging to escape.
Knowing who you are… is the key to becoming an achiever. In life, everyone feels unhappy and hurt. But in the end, learning from that is what matters the most. Junior and Finley had a troublesome past. They were constantly mocked in school and had almost nobody to stand up for them. All their doors to success seemed closed. Yet they worked hard and started gaining confidence in themselves. Sherman Alexie and Matthew Quick show readers how life can be full of challenges. However, overcoming them is up to you. If you accept who you are and listen to your heart, the doors to success eventually open. Even if there are obstacles in your path, you should always know that trying again and again and again…. is much better than not trying at all.
Vard, I think you have done really well since our first bend. You have used the skills we have learned throughout the way and you have also learned from comments from Ms. Pau and also me. What I really liked is that on the last bend I commented saying that your ending was too wordy and needed to be cut down. Now I can see that you have changed that and worked on it to make it the best it can be. "Now I am thinking that friendships might suffer, because of circumstances, even if a person accepts who he is.". Really powerful line, also very ironic because I am writing almost the exact opposite of this. But nice use of the prompt and that line really makes the reader think of why friendships end. It also makes sense as well.
ReplyDeleteVard, I think you have done really well since our first bend. You have used the skills we have learned throughout the way and you have also learned from comments from Ms. Pau and also me. What I really liked is that on the last bend I commented saying that your ending was too wordy and needed to be cut down. Now I can see that you have changed that and worked on it to make it the best it can be. "Now I am thinking that friendships might suffer, because of circumstances, even if a person accepts who he is.". Really powerful line, also very ironic because I am writing almost the exact opposite of this. But nice use of the prompt and that line really makes the reader think of why friendships end. It also makes sense as well.
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