YOU CAN DO IT

“You can do it.”

“I can do it.”

“Let’s do it.”

The coach encourages Arnold before the significant basketball game. When Arnold says “I can do it”, he thinks of his coach, teammates, and the world. Arnold believes that these are the four hugest words in the world when they’re put together. When I read this part of the book, I can feel the mighty power in Arnold’s heart. His declaration shows his strong desire to prove that he will never give up. He will try his best to prove his power in the basketball game, and will never give up exploring the broad future.

Arnold is courageous for leaving his tribe in pursuit of a better education and better future. Unlike the prevalent alcoholic Indians, he has a strong will to live a better life, probably because of his recovery from severe diseases. We can see apparent changes in Arnold after he transferred to Reardan. He becomes a great basketball player, made new friends and did pretty well in his classes.

When Arnold himself noticed these changes, he can’t wait to prove to the Indians what he has achieved. However, his decision to leave the reservation and his defeat of his former basketball teammates cause negative aftermath as well. Arnold blames himself for causing the death of his grandma, his dad’s friend, and his big sister. He also feels ashamed after defeating the basketball team from the reservation. Probably these are inevitable things that begin to happen from the moment Arnold decides to leave the reservation for school. Though the process is painful, Arnold finally wins respect for himself. At the end of the book Arnold expresses his love for Rowdy and the reservation. He hopes that someday forgiveness would heal all the former pains. The author leaves a space for many possibilities of Arnold’s future, but I believe he deserves a bright future.

You can do it.