ipl-logo

Stereotypes: A Short Story Of A Native American

457 Words2 Pages

Despite the constant stereotypes placed on Arnold by his fellow Indians, and by his peers at Rearden, Junior rebounds stronger than ever. When Arnold, (dubbed Junior), arrives for his first day at his new school Rearden, he is surrounded by all the white teenagers and their expectations for him to be poor, stupid, and wild. They only consider him “Indian”, as if it is an occupation. When Junior is surrounded by a group of these racist people, they are all calling him names and making fun of him. However, none of them are brave enough to fight him, because they think that because he is an Indian, he must be a crazy fighter. “None of those guys punched me or got violent. After all, I was a reservation Indian, and no matter how geeky and weak I appeared to be, I was still a potential killer.” (63) This segment not only shows the racism of the people he is now surrounded with, but the way Junior uses the first person exemplifies that even he thinks he is a potential killer. …show more content…

Junior is arguing with his science teacher, Mr. Dodge. Dodge does not want to believe that Arnold, a teenager from the reservation could be challenging his knowledge. “Okay, Arnold, where did you learn this fact? On the reservation? Yes, we all know there’s so much amazing science on the reservation. Gordy, I’m sure you can tell us the truth.” (85) Soon after, the class genius, Gordy (he is white) raises his hand and confirms the truth of what Arnold originally said. Junior somehow again conquers this stereotype with his final report card, which contains almost all

Open Document