“Every white person on this rez should get smashed in the face. But, let me tell you this. All the Indians should get smashed in the face, too” (Hope Against Hope) – by Mr. P. The war between white people and Indian start at 1539s until President Andrew Jackson signed “Indian Removal Act” at 1830s. Even Indians already move to reservation, but government didn’t stop to oppress and limit Indians. They gave Indian terrible land to farm, and send white people to brainwashing Indian children to give up their culture, and give up their life. Arnold, is one of the Indian children who study in Wellpinit – a school in reservation. He born with brain damage, and be bullying since he was young, but different than other people in reservation, he didn’t…show more content… Mr. P told Arnold that “We were supposed to make you give up being Indian.” (Hope Against Hope), it can show that the goals of education in reservation is to let all the Indian give up their own culture including songs, stories, language, everything that related to their culture, that is why Arnold will get a geometry book which was belong to his mother. Whatever on sport games or academic competition, Reardan always win, and it build up the impression to Arnold that the kids in Reardan were magnificent and “filled with hope.” (Rowdy Sings the Blues) Different than Wellpinit, the goals of Reardan is to let their student – white people, have a better life, better job, so they teach student with new knowledge, new resources. Arnold is really smart, but he couldn’t have a good education in Wellpinit because of the goals and the stereotype that Indian deserve to be poor, so he feels hopeless in reservation, but after he transfer the school, he saw the hope again, and that makes him think that he might have chance to change his…show more content… His classmate, schoolmate, even adult in reservation were bullying him, beat him and fight with him, but Arnold never win the fight, he even “lost a fight with himself” (How to Fight Monsters). All of these makes him feels afraid, disappointed, and diffidence to facing the world, so he hides in home and uses drawing cartoons to run away from the reality. Although he transfers the school to Reardan, but the bullying didn’t stop, and he also has to facing racism in new school. His classmate called him names, such as “Chief”, “Tonto”, or “Squaw Boy”, even he was angry, but what happened to him in Wellpinit makes him afraid to fight for himself, until he punches Roger in the face. Different than what people in reservation will do to him, Roger didn’t do anything, he said “I can’t believe you punch me.” (How to Fight Monsters) and Arnold get their respect after that day. The “rules” are different in Wellpinit and Reardan, even he hasn’t get a lot of friends, but he got the respect from his classmate and feel more confidence to stay at school, which is impossible go get in Wellpinit, so it has positive impact to
