Life of Indian Education Essay Example

Life of Indian Education Essay 1A 26 October 2010 Life of Indian Education Indian education; it doesn’t necessarily mean to get an Indian education rather to be taught how to be Indian. In Sherman Alexie’s short story â€Å"Indian Education† the main character, Junior, is taught the lessons of being an Indian. The story is about Junior’s life in school from first to twelfth grade with a class reunion at the end. Through each grade we see Junior growing up as well as lessons to be learned. Junior finds himself facing many stereotypes, racism, and discrimination towards him, his people, and culture. The short story ends with Junior beating the odds and overcoming all the obstacles he faced. Throughout the story â€Å"Indian Education† Alexie’s character learns to be an Indian and learns many lessons of how tough it is to be Indian. The first lesson being learned of being Indian is being poor. In the first grade Junior was picked on because he was different than the other boys. â€Å"My hair was too short and my U. S. Government glasses were horn-rimmed, ugly. † The narrator states how he is different by having his hair too short and ugly glasses. We will write a custom essay sample on Life of Indian Education specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Life of Indian Education specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Life of Indian Education specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Having his hair too short shows the other Indian boys that he’s different because in Indian tradition the guys usually grow their hair out. He also states that his glasses are provided by the government which tells the reader that he is poor. Experiencing this poverty is common amongst Indians because many of them aren’t educated enough to get a good job to support themselves. Another example from the first grade is when Junior is given nicknames like â€Å"Junior Falls Down† and â€Å"Cries-Like-a-White-Boy. His nickname â€Å"Cries-Like-a-White-Boy† hints that there is some tension between the Whites and Indians because as said in the story they’ve never heard a white boy cry. These examples show the narrator is learning of being an Indian because being poor is common within the Indian culture and having unfriendly tensions between the Whites is something Indians have had for decades. In the second grade Junior faces racism and discrimination fro m his teacher. â€Å"‘Tell me you’re sorry,’ she said. ‘Sorry for what? ’ I asked. ‘Everything,’ she said. Here, his teacher is punishing him for no reason. This shows the teacher views herself higher than him and thinks of Indians as at the bottom. This is the first time he faces racism and he’s only a young kid at this time. This is one of the many difficulties Indians have to face every day because they look, act, and are viewed differently. In the fourth grade he is shown encouragement for the first of few times. His teacher tells him he should be a doctor, because he is very smart, so he can come back and help his tribe. At this same time the narrator’s mom and dad are sitting in their own darkness drinking and being depressed because of their lives. Junior, having to face his parents like this, knows what he has to do to help not only his family but his entire culture. It’s the first time he looks himself in the mirror and sees himself becoming something and wants to do something with his life. This can be seen by the many difficulties Indians face versus how much encouragement and belief they get from others and their selves. It can also be seen as him breaking away from the Indian culture and fighting to be different than everyone else in his reservation because it’s almost a â€Å"tradition† for Indians to get criticism from others that they’re never going to be anything in life and for the Indians to stop believing in their selves. These were the first lessons he learned of becoming an Indian. Going through the fifth grade the narrator shot his first basketball and air balled everything. However, instead of giving up he looked at the positive and saw math and geometry in it and kept on trying. This can also be seen as a metaphor; As Indians, and the culture of Indians, hardly anything goes right for them. They’re poor, they have poor education, and a lot of them become alcoholics, but for Junior he doesn’t give up, he keeps his head up and despite all of these negative events happening around him he is still able to know that he can choose how his life turns out and not become like everyone else in his tribe. At this same time he shot a basketball his cousin was sniffing cement and his cousin saw beauty and chemistry in this. Junior, learning to be Indian, sees his own family making the wrong decisions on his own because no one is there to tell him what’s right or wrong. Learning to be an Indian can be tough with no supervision and guidance from a more responsible person. He also learns lessons of being an Indian during the seventh grade when he separated from his tribe. â€Å"But on the day I leaned through the basement window of the HUD house and kissed the white girl, I felt the good-byes I was saying to my entire tribe. † Junior left his tribe to get a better ducation at a white school. Leaving your own people to go live with the enemy is a hard thing to cope with for Junior and his tribe. This teaches him lessons of being Indian because he realizes that living on his reservation is not going to get him the education he needs to be successful because Indians have a poor education system. All the way until the twelfth grade Junior faced many obstacles, stereotypes, and racism in the white world. In the twelfth grade the narrator graduates as valedictorian and states that his hair is longer than ever. I walk down the aisle, valedictorian of this farm town high school, and my cap doesn’t fit because I’ve grown my hair longer than it’s ever been. † This shows the audience that he’s very smart and that he beat all the challenges and obstacles put in front of him. This teaches him how to be Indian because it shows the narrator that being Indian is tough and he knows it’s not easy for people with an Indian background to become a successful person out in the world. However, he accomplished things no one believed he could. He beat the odds and proved a lot of people wrong. His long hair symbolizes that he hasn’t forgotten where he’s come from. It’s a symbol his Indian heritage and even though he’s been going to a white school for some years he still hasn’t forgotten about his life back at home. He’s always kept a part of him everywhere he went. Throughout the story Junior grows up to become a new person beating the odds and defeating all the obstacles he had to face. Even though he came from an Indian reservation where people saw themselves as failures, he overcame those odds and saw that he can choose how his life turns out. The narrator is educated of being an Indian facing racism and discrimination. The story talks about the narrator’s education from the first through twelfth grade but doesn’t necessarily give the image of him getting an education but rather it sends out the message of him learning to be an Indian.

Spanish Verbs for Trying

Spanish Verbs for Trying To try is one of those English verbs that will steer you down the wrong path if you try to translate it with just one Spanish verb. This lesson looks at the most common ways of expressing the idea of trying and related phrases such as to try to or to try out. Fast Facts Tratar de and intentar are are the most common ways of translating try when it means to attempt something.Esforzarse and phrases using esfuerzo can also be used to emphasize the effort given.When try refers to a testing or testing out, the preferred translation is usually probar. Trying as Attempting When try means attempt, it can usually be translated as tratar de or intentar followed by an infinitive. The two are roughly synonymous, although tratar de is more common. Note that intentar is a false friend to the English verb to intend - intentar involves an actual attempt, not a mere intent as the English verb does. Tratamos de hacer lo mejor para conseguir el objetivo. (We are trying to do what is best in order to reach the objective.)Trataron de resucitar al cantante durante ms de una hora en el hospital. (They tried to resuscitate the singer for more than an hour in the hospital.)Trataremos de resolver sus problemas. (We will try to resolve your problems.)Vamos a tratar de ganar el campeonato. (We are going to try to win the championship.)Intentamos resolver las dudas que puedan surgir. (We are trying to resolve the doubts that may arise.)Intentar es major que esperar. (Trying is better than waiting.)Me intentaron hacer un fraude. (They tried to commit a fraud against me.)Intento comprender la verdad. (I am trying to understand the truth.) Trying as Testing When to try means to test, as the phrase to try out often does, you can often use the verb probar: Probamos algo nuevo. (Were trying something new.)Los estudiantes probaron comidas de los diferentes paà ­ses. (The students tried meals of different countries.)Los terroristas probaban gases venenosos experimentando con perros. (The terrorists tried out poisonous gases by experimenting with dogs.)Me probà © la camisa y vi que estaba hecha exactamente a mi medida. (I tried on the shirt and saw that it was made exactly to my size.)Desde que probà © su consejo, mi vida cambià ³ para siempre. (Ever since I tried her advice, my life has been forever changed.)Pues, pruà ©balo y vers. (Here, try it out and youll see.)Voy a probar un nuevo truco de magia. (Im going to try a new magic trick.)Probà © suerte de nuevo y abrà ­ mi propio negocio. (I tried my luck again and opened my own business.) Trying as an Effort To try in the sense of put forth an effort can often be translated as esforzarse or a phrase such as hacer un esfuerzo por. Although intentar and tratar de can also indicate an effort, they put less emphasis on it than do esforzarse and phrases using esfuerzo. Sà © que puedes esforzarte ms. (I know you can try harder.)Me esfuerzo con toda intensidad por ser sincero. (Im trying as hard as I can to be honest.)Pero yo me esfuerzo todo lo que puedo. (Im trying to do everything I can.)Hago un esfuerzo por  apartar de mi mente lo ocurrido y concentrarme en mi trabajo. (Im trying to get my mind off of what happened and concentrate on my work.)Volvià ³ al sillà ³n e  hizo un esfuerzo por  relajarse.  (She returned to the rocking chair and tried to relax.)Es necesario hacer un esfuerzo. (It is necessary to try.) Legal Use of 'Try' To try in the sense of to put on trial can be expressed by procesar or juzgar: El juez procesà ³ ayer a ocho personas por el robo de armas de guerra. The judge yesterday tried eight people for the theft of military weapons.Juzgaron a los activistas de Greenpeace en Espaà ±a. The Greenpeace activists were tried in Spain. 'Try' as a Noun Try as a noun can often be translated well using intento: Haz de nuevo el intento. Give it another try. ¡Al menos hicieron  su mejor intento! At least they gave it their best try!Al menos resulta un intento divertido. (At least it was a fun try.)