#6 p168-198: What is Arnold's grieving ceremony? What connection do you see between this and the cartoon on 166? (Josh)

Arnold grieving ceremony cheers him up rather than bring him down. What he does is making a list of his favorite things. Things like favorite people who gave him joy, favorite musicians, favorite food, favorite books, and favorite basketball players. He made these lists to keep the little pieces that gives him joy. The only way he manages through death and change. It gives him hope and small bits of happiness. On page 166 Arnold draws a cartoon of Jesus on water and normal people on land laughing at him. Arnold draws cartoons because it made him feel better. He was mad at Jesus for all that happened and mocked him to make himself feel better. Arnold tries to do anything just to get himself through all these hard times with happiness and draws cartoons about things that he is angry about. "I keep writing and rewriting, drawing and redrawing, and rethinking and revising and reediting. It became my grieving ceremony" (Alexie 178) This quote goes straight to Arnold's grieving ceremony. He explains what he does and it is the only way that he gets through the tough times.