(97-230) #2. Why does Junior cry on pages 216 and 217? (Molly)

Junior cries because he realizes that the Indians are all going to die if they keep drinking. His sister and his dad’s best friend have both just died from being too drunk. “I was crying because I knew five or ten or fifeteen more Spokanes would die during the next year, and that most of them would die because of booze” (Alexie, 216). Junior decides that he isn’t going to drink because he will have a good life in the real world. He realizes that many Indians drink because they don’t have a good life, and he is happy that he left the rez because it will give him a brighter future and maybe cause less heartache for his family in the future.