Rowdy & Junior

Junior and Rowdy's friendship

"Have I ever told anybody your secrets?" -Rowdy, page 64.

   Rowdy is the toughest boy in the reservation and with a strong heart. He and Junior were best friends since Junior didn't have any friends due to his hydrocephalic. Junior suffered from a lot of bullying, but Rowdy was the only one who supported him. Although Rowdy is rude he's worried about Junior and often fought against Junior's bullies, protecting him. Both of them trusted each other. They loved reading comics and since Junior was good at drawing, Rowdy enjoyed it. However, he hated when Junior drew him; he preferred to imagine he lived in those comics because of his drug addicted father. When Junior told Rowdy he would move from Wellpinit high school to Reardan, Rowdy was mad at him because he thought he wanted to be with white people and not in the reservation with his people, considering Junior's decision as a betrayal. He hit Junior and said he hated him. But even after that, Junior considered him his best friend.   Junior missed Rowdy a lot because they neither studied together, nor played together anymore. Junior made new friends but not best friends who shared secrets and dreams as with Rowdy. Rowdy was the one who knew very well Junior’s strength, weaknesses and dreams. Still, Rowdy was angry with Junior and played hard against him in the first basketball play, hitting Junior's head which he had never done before since he knew how fragile Junior’s head was for his illness. But Junior considered Rowdy his best friend no matter what happened. After winning the second game against Wellpinit, Junior and Rowdy improved their friendship. Rowdy went to Junior’s house looking for him and talked a little. Rowdy didn't hate Junior anymore, instead he admitted he was happy because Junior was improving and making his dreams come true. Thus, they became friends again, but with different roads and with different life goals.

Rowdy when Junior said he was moving from the reservation

Junior is called “an apple” by people in the reservation referring that he’s red as they’re from the outside but white in the inside. In other words, they mean he’s a traitor and that he doesn’t accept that he’s “red skin” which is how people in the reservation are called. Since Junior began to study at Reardan but lives in the reservation people think he’s a traitor who is in a place he shouldn’t be, and thus, his people don’t admire him, on the contrary they judge him. Therefore, he feels he doesn't belong to any group.; his neither completely accepted at Reardan nor at the reservation. Still, he decided to continue his way to success.

Quotes

·         "But he is my best human friend and he cares about me, so he would always tell me the truth." -Junior, page 13. 

Junior believed Rowdy was a nice guy and his only friend even if people thought he was only a rude and not intelligent guy. Both of them trust each other.

·        "We'll kick your asses next year. And you'll cry like the little faggot you are." -Rowdy, page 163.

After Junior won against Rowdy in the second basketball game, he wrote Rowdy apologizing, but Rowdy was sure Wellpinit will do better next year. He wasn’t angry as he was before, admitting he lost against Junior in the game.

·        “I wanted to find him and hug him and beg him to forgive me for leaving.” -Junior, page 181.

Junior remembered the good times in which he was only with Rowdy and they had fun. However, after he left the reservation, their friendship got worse. Still he thinks he did the correct by moving from there. That made him a little sad and he wanted to go back in time with his friend.

·      "When I get rich and famous, I'm going to have a house that has an air conditioner in every room." -Rowdy, page 183.

When Rowdy was younger he had dreams, he wanted to be rich and live away from his father, the only problem was that in the reservation no one was rich. Still, Rowdy and Junior had many dreams they wanted to achieve when they grow up.

·         “I had this dream about you a few months ago. You were standing on the Great Wall of China. You looked happy. And I was happy for you." -Rowdy, page 191.

Rowdy has always been Junior best friend and even if he doesn’t admit he’s worried or concerned about Junior’s feelings, he truly respects his dreams and he’s happy for him.

·        “I would always love Rowdy. And I would always miss him, too. Just as I would always love and miss my grandmother, my big sister, and Eugene.” -Junior, page 192.

Junior will continue following his dreams and with Rowdy’s inspiring words, he feels more confident of going forward.

Here are some links for further discussion. Check them to understand better both characters!

https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/do-junior-rowdy-ever-become-friends-again-583964

https://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-absolutely-true-diary-of-a-part-time-indian/characters/rowdy

https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/the-absolutely-true-diary-of-a-part-time-indian/character/arnold-spirit-jr-junior/