Respect

Question: Explain/explore Junior’s interaction with Rowdy’s dad. What are the implications? And what does Junior resolve/decide?

Answer: After Junior “betrays” Rowdy and his tribe, he tries to make amends by visiting Rowdy’s home, with a present for him. He is met at the door by Rowdy’s father, an abusive alcoholic. Rowdy’s dad sees the cartoon that Junior drew of Rowdy and Junior together as super heroes, and mocks it. After the unpleasant exchange in which Rowdy’s dad eventually agrees to give the “gay” drawing to his son, Junior spots Rowdy, sitting in the upstairs window, holding the drawing. Rowdy gives Junior the middle finger in response to Junior’s friendly wave, but keeps the drawing.

Rowdy’s father’s immediate response at the door, despite seeing it was his son’s best friend, is “What do you want” (p.103). He lies about Rowdy not being home, and then calls Junior gay, an insult in their community. Junior’s calm reaction shows that it is normal for Rowdy’s father to behave in such a manner. Junior is annoyed by Rowdy’s father, but doesn’t show it. “I wanted to cuss at him. I wanted to tell him that I thought I was being courageous, and that I was trying to fix my broken friendship with Rowdy, and that I missed him, and if that was gay, then okay, I was the gayest dude in the world. But I didn’t say any of that” (p. 103). Rowdy’s dad didn’t realize he was influencing Junior in the sense of teaching him what was “gay.” Society had been drilling Junior to think being gay was acting a specific way, and being weird and different, and the context of Rowdy’s father’s attempted insult tells Junior that being gay was bad. Junior doesn’t care, and accepts that he might be gay. He doesn’t deny his feelings to avoid the insult, nor does he let his angry emotions at the larger man influence his actions. Junior doesn’t let anything stand in the way of getting his artwork to Rowdy.

In the end, Junior realizes that there might still be a sliver of respect left in Rowdy for Junior, and he understands he mustn’t lose hope. “He stepped away from the window. I felt sad for a moment. But then I realized that Rowdy may have flipped me off, but he hadn’t torn up my cartoon. As much as he hated me, he probably should have ripped it to pieces. That would have hurt my feelings more than just about anything I can think of. But Rowdy still respected my cartoons. And so maybe he still respected me a little bit.”

Junior decides that he may still have a chance of being best friends with Rowdy, and he hopes that Rowdy will maintain an open enough mind and enough respect for him to listen to his apology. He truly misses his best friend.

Mila