Multiple Perspectives: Poverty
One of the main challenges Arthur faces throughout the novel is poverty; Arthur and his family, along with nearly every family on the rez, struggle financially. Arthur is resigned to his own poverty, and straightforwardly admits his reality of being impoverished. He introduces himself to his readers as “just a poor-ass reservation kid living with his poor-ass family on the poor-ass Spokane Indian Reservation” (7). He easily identifies himself as being poor, and seems to belive that there is nothing he can change about this, although he does wish his situation were different.
Arthur realizes that his poverty affects his ability to realize his dreams. He claims, “But we reservation Indians don’t get to realize our dreams. We don’t get those chances. Or choices. We’re just poor. That’s all we are” (13). However accepting Arthur may seem about his poverty, it is clear that he yearns for his circumstances to be different. He wants to be able to achieve and realize his dreams, but he is confined by the poverty he lives in. He is beyond appreciating the lesson that poverty may teach some individuals, as he says, “Poverty doesn’t give you strength or teach you lessons about perseverance. No, poverty only teaches you how to be poor” (13). Arthur is entirely bitter and angry about being poor that he does not see the strength he has gained because of his own poverty.
Arthur bitterly and resentfully connects his poverty with being Native American. When he finds his mother’s maiden name scribbled in his textbook, he realizes that the very same textbook being used in his classroom was used over twenty years ago when his mother was a high school student. He says, “My school and my tribe are so poor and sad that we have to study from the same dang books our parents studied from. That is absolutely the saddest thing in the world” (31). It is clear that Arthur connects the lack of educational opportunities in his school as well as the poverty his school exists in to his reservation; he blames the reservation and being Native American for the poverty of his family and school. Furthermore, Arthur describes the “ugly circle” that Indians live in:
“It sucks to be poor, and it sucks to feel that you somehow deserve to be poor. You start believing that you’re poor because you’re stupid and ugly. And then you start believing that you’re stupid and ugly because you’re Indian. And because you’re Indian you start believing you’re destined to be poor. It’s an ugly circle and there’s nothing you can do about it” – 13
Arthur connects his socioeconomic status with the fact that he is Indian; he believes that his intelligence, appearance, and destiny all are connected to his Indian identity.
Additionally, Arthur lies about being poor to his classmates at Reardon. He panics when he cannot afford to pay for his date with Penelope after the dance, but is almost too proud to receive any help from Roger. He desperately does not want his classmates at Reardon to know about the poverty he lives in at the reservation. Arthur explains, “Yeah, so I pretended to have a little money. I pretended to be middle class. I pretended I belonged” (119). Arthur pretends to be of the same socioeconomic status as his classmates simply so he can belong. He fools nearly everyone at Reardon, and explains, “And since the kids and parents at Reardon thought I had a lot of money, I did nothing to change their minds. I figured it would do me any good if they knew I was dirt poor” (119). Arthur is clearly living in conflict between what the way he wants others to perceive him and the reality of his poverty.
Arthur resents his parents for their poverty, but also understands that they provide for Arthur as much as they are able to. Arthur is resentful of his family’s economic situation and says, “I wanted to hate Mom and Dad for our poverty” (11). He hates his family’s poverty so entirely that he searches for something or someone to blame, and ends up attempting to hate his parents. However, Arthur knows that his parents try to provide financially for him as much as they can; he says, “My parents gave me just enough money so that I could pretend to have more money than I did” (119). Arthur is at conflict because he wants to be able to blame his parents for their poverty, but also realizes the sacrifices they are making. He concedes, “I mean, my mother and father were working hard for me, too. They were constantly scraping together enough money to pay for gas, to get me lunch money, to buy me a new pair of jeans and a few new shirts” (119). His parents’ sacrifices make it difficult for him to place too much blame on their shoulders.
Arthur easily identifies himself as poor, and believes that this poverty hinders what he may be able to accomplish in the future. He does not believe that being poor teaches any life lessons, and bitterly links his poverty to being Indian. He chooses to deceive his classmates by making them believe he is middle class, and tries to resent his parents for his family being poor.
Arthur realizes that his poverty affects his ability to realize his dreams. He claims, “But we reservation Indians don’t get to realize our dreams. We don’t get those chances. Or choices. We’re just poor. That’s all we are” (13). However accepting Arthur may seem about his poverty, it is clear that he yearns for his circumstances to be different. He wants to be able to achieve and realize his dreams, but he is confined by the poverty he lives in. He is beyond appreciating the lesson that poverty may teach some individuals, as he says, “Poverty doesn’t give you strength or teach you lessons about perseverance. No, poverty only teaches you how to be poor” (13). Arthur is entirely bitter and angry about being poor that he does not see the strength he has gained because of his own poverty.
Arthur bitterly and resentfully connects his poverty with being Native American. When he finds his mother’s maiden name scribbled in his textbook, he realizes that the very same textbook being used in his classroom was used over twenty years ago when his mother was a high school student. He says, “My school and my tribe are so poor and sad that we have to study from the same dang books our parents studied from. That is absolutely the saddest thing in the world” (31). It is clear that Arthur connects the lack of educational opportunities in his school as well as the poverty his school exists in to his reservation; he blames the reservation and being Native American for the poverty of his family and school. Furthermore, Arthur describes the “ugly circle” that Indians live in:
“It sucks to be poor, and it sucks to feel that you somehow deserve to be poor. You start believing that you’re poor because you’re stupid and ugly. And then you start believing that you’re stupid and ugly because you’re Indian. And because you’re Indian you start believing you’re destined to be poor. It’s an ugly circle and there’s nothing you can do about it” – 13
Arthur connects his socioeconomic status with the fact that he is Indian; he believes that his intelligence, appearance, and destiny all are connected to his Indian identity.
Additionally, Arthur lies about being poor to his classmates at Reardon. He panics when he cannot afford to pay for his date with Penelope after the dance, but is almost too proud to receive any help from Roger. He desperately does not want his classmates at Reardon to know about the poverty he lives in at the reservation. Arthur explains, “Yeah, so I pretended to have a little money. I pretended to be middle class. I pretended I belonged” (119). Arthur pretends to be of the same socioeconomic status as his classmates simply so he can belong. He fools nearly everyone at Reardon, and explains, “And since the kids and parents at Reardon thought I had a lot of money, I did nothing to change their minds. I figured it would do me any good if they knew I was dirt poor” (119). Arthur is clearly living in conflict between what the way he wants others to perceive him and the reality of his poverty.
Arthur resents his parents for their poverty, but also understands that they provide for Arthur as much as they are able to. Arthur is resentful of his family’s economic situation and says, “I wanted to hate Mom and Dad for our poverty” (11). He hates his family’s poverty so entirely that he searches for something or someone to blame, and ends up attempting to hate his parents. However, Arthur knows that his parents try to provide financially for him as much as they can; he says, “My parents gave me just enough money so that I could pretend to have more money than I did” (119). Arthur is at conflict because he wants to be able to blame his parents for their poverty, but also realizes the sacrifices they are making. He concedes, “I mean, my mother and father were working hard for me, too. They were constantly scraping together enough money to pay for gas, to get me lunch money, to buy me a new pair of jeans and a few new shirts” (119). His parents’ sacrifices make it difficult for him to place too much blame on their shoulders.
Arthur easily identifies himself as poor, and believes that this poverty hinders what he may be able to accomplish in the future. He does not believe that being poor teaches any life lessons, and bitterly links his poverty to being Indian. He chooses to deceive his classmates by making them believe he is middle class, and tries to resent his parents for his family being poor.