On pages 107-109 Junior talks about Penelope’s secret. Junior finds out that she has bulimia. Bulimia is a serious eating disorder in which people vomit their food after they consume it. They do this because they fear that they will gain weight and become overweight. “‘Anorexics are anorexics all the time,’ she says.’ I’m only bulimic when I’m throwing up.”(107) This is when Penelope firsts admits to be anorexic, well actually Bulimic, “What’s the difference”(107). This is why Junior and her start to become friends, because he learns her secret and keeps it. He is the first person to understand Penelope and her day to day struggle. “she’s scared all the time, but nobody will let her be scared” This shows how Penelope really feels. She doesn’t always want to be a girl who’s pretty and smart and popular. She wants to be normal and have lower expectations. This is one of the reasons she starts to “date” Junior. Junior is original. He’s new. He is different from everyone else in the small town with small dreams. This makes Junior more popular with the boys and "cuter" with the girls. Penelope also gains from this because she was getting “smudged” by an Indian kid. This took some pressure off of Penelope. Penelope and Junior do not really date, but Junior holds hands with her and they kiss sometimes, but really they are just best friends. They are almost a “thing” which makes Junior almost cool, but not quite because he does not really talk to them. This really gets rid of his loneliness. He now has a best friend that he can tell anything to. This gives him an identity at school. Someone everyone knows. That they can all admire and envy. He is finally in a sustainable group that is not a bad influence on him, like Rowdy. As Mr. P said he is already given up and he was just holding him down like the rest of the rez. With this group, consisting of his best friend/lover Penelope and his other computer tech pal Gordy, they can run the school. They can help Junior achieve his dream and help him get out of the rez for good.
Do you think they will eventually date? Will Junior become one of the most popular kids at their school? What does Penelope really think of Junior? Do you think Penelope’s dad will get in the way of their relationship?
I agree with what Dirtz says. Penelope is an interesting character. I've realized that at the beginning I liked her, then didn't like her, and then started liking her again. I think that Junior will become one of the popular kids because of Penelope. Also if he plays basketball he could become even more popular. Penelope see's Junior as an escape from her crazy "perfect" life. Like Dirtz said, she doesn't always wants to be popular and pretty. Also when she told Junior the difference between being anorexic and bulimic, I think she was trying to defend herself, but I also think that she doesn't exactly see what's wrong with it. Do you think that Junior is going to help her? Why or why not?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sharon and Dirtz because Penelope just wants to be regular and not have to keep up a perfect reputation. By being bulimic, she is ruining her reputation because the other kids may see that as a sickness. I think that Junior has helped Penelope by listening to her and keeping her secret. Knowing that she can talk about anything with Junior probably helps her situation. It is also the other way around because Penelope is helping Junior gain a stronger reputation. "I looked and talked and dreamed and walked differently than everybody else. I was new." When I read this passage, the question that came to mind was, is this a good or bad change? I think it is a good change because Arnold is still his own person. He even said he did all the differently than everybody else. I think that is better than changing to be like all the other kids or changing just to fit in.
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