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#1. What do you make of Arnold's relationship with his grandmother? (Grant L.)



Arnold loves his grandmother, he loves her because she gives him the best advice. On Arnold's second day at Reardon, he punches the school bully, Roger in the face. When Roger doesn't fight back he is confused because all he knows is the “Spokane Indian Rules Of Fisticuffs”(Alexie 61). That night he talks to his Grandmother and she gives him a piece of advice that changed how Arnold looked at the world. She told him that, “men and boys are like packs of wild dogs. This giant boy is the alpha male of the school, and you’re the new dog, so he pushed you around a bit to see how tough you are”(Alexie 68). This changed how he looked at society’s around him because it showed him that if he can prove to people that he is not just a skinny boy with a lisp and stutter but a tough and brave kid he can change people's views of him and all Indians. Arnold’s grandmother has seen everything from when the Indians were accepting of all to when they lost all hope. This helps Arnold know that hope is still there for Indians including himself.

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