ATD Summative Assessment Paper Arnold learns several lessons during his time at Wellpinit and Reardon. One lesson Arnold learned is how to be himself. Arnold is different from any other character in the book. Sherman Alexie states that Arnold was, “born with water on the brain.” This disability slow downed and flooded Arnold’s thinking, breathing, and living. Being born with water on the brain also caused physical problems for Arnold such as, having 42 teeth, ten more than usual, and having mixed vision which caused him to get headaches. Although the physical problems Arnold went through were bad, the mental ones were worse. Arnold suffered from seizures, a stutter, and a lisp. Even though Arnold has all these incapacities, he still finds a way to make himself happy and communicate with the world by drawing. Arnold draws all the time because, “Words are too unpredictable… words …show more content…
Arnold always believed that he was destined to become a poor reservation Indian that did not get to realize their dreams, until he hit Mr. P with a book. Mr. P is the reason why Arnold gained hope. Mr. P told Arnold, “You deserve better…. You are a good kid…. You deserve the world.” These words made Arnold cry. After Arnold and Rowdy settle their discord, Rowdy realizes that Arnold is different from the other people on the reservation. Rowdy tells Arnold that he read a book about old-time Indians, and in the book he read that they were nomadic. Rowdy then says, “Hardly anybody on this rez is nomadic. Except for you. You’re the nomadic one.” This solidifies Arnold’s belief in his hope of a better future. The lessons Junior has learned during his time at Wellpinit and Reardon has pointed him in the right direction for him to become who he was meant to be, despite all of his infirmities and