Junior laughs so much during this time of grief because it is the only way that he can get away from all of the sorrow and loss he is feeling. The times where he laughs the hardest are also the times where he feels the most loss. When his sister dies, just the simple fact that his dad didn't die while coming to pick up Junior seems like the best thing in the world to Junior, and he laughs because he realizes how pathetic that sounds. The other time he laughs is after Rowdy tries to punch him because Rowdy believes that Junior caused his sister's death. This should be one of the most hurtful parts in the novel, where even in this time of immense grief for Junior, Rowdy still has the nerve to go after Junior. Instead of breaking down because of the complete betrayal of his best friend, he just laughs when Rowdy misses his punch. In short, Junior believes that if he laughs hard enough, all the sorrow will go away and everything will become funny again.
Like Junior says at the very beginning of the novel, cartoons are his lifeboats. His laughter is serving as his lifeboat in this time of crisis for him, allowing him to escape. Just like cartoons, laughter is ubiquitous, no matter where someone is or what language they speak. Junior is not just hoping that his laughter will make him feel better, he hopes that it will make everyone better. He thinks that he is responsible for all of these deaths, and in a way is trying to make up for it by bringing everyone else's spirits up with his laughter.
One thing that Alexie may be trying to do is cement the fundamental difference between Rowdy and Junior. When Rowdy has a problem, he is likely to turn and fight it, where as when Junior has a problem he tends to laugh it off. While these survival strategies both are effective on the rez, it is essentially this difference that drives Rowdy and Junior apart. Rowdy stays and fights the problems he faces, while Junior instead makes fun of himself, so it doesn't hurt him as much when others do the same.
Do you think Junior has had to deal with loss in this way before? Do you think he is responsible for his sister's death? What do you think is the biggest difference between Rowdy and Junior? Explain.
I agree with what Ranch says. Laughing for Junior is like a way to escape from the sorrow. I don't think that Junior has dealt with loss by laughing before. He seemed surprised himself when he started laughing, but he couldn't just stop. I don't think that he's responsible for his sisters death. I think that his sister would've moved out whether or not Junior had left to go to Reardon. I do agree with Ranch about how the difference between Rowdy and Junior is how they deal with pain. Rowdy deals with it by hurting others, and Junior keeps it bottled up, and doesn't know what to do. But then he just laughs it off. Do you think this is a healthy way for Junior to deal with pain?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ranch and Sharon. When Junior was laughing, he was making the pain go away. I think that Junior is putting to much guilt on himself. Answering Sharon's question, I think that it is a healthy way for him to deal with his pain because laughing is better than crying. He thinks he killed his sister. I don't think he should feel this way because he couldn't have saved her. It was her own decision to move away and it was her own decision to get drunk and pass out. When Rowdy came over to his house, I think that he was relieved because if they become friends again, he will have someone to tell all his problems to. I has been keeping them to himself and he needs to get it out and tell someone. If Junior keeps asking, I think Rowdy will end up going to Rearden with Junior because when he was talking about traveling the world he seemed a little jealous. If he does go, they can travel the world together.
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