Life in the mines

Peekay decides to take a year of school off to work in the copper mines. He decides to do this because pay is high and to build strength for boxing. But he also leaves for the mines because he wants to make a decision by himself. Peekay feels that his camouflage, molding to what others wanted, is suppressing who he really is. Part of the power of one is the ability to make decisions for oneself.  His failure to get a scholarship to Oxford changes others’ view of Peekay. This causes Peekay to realize that up until now, he has allowed everyone around him to mold him into who they want. Peekay’s feels that his decision to go to the mines is truly his own, not based on what others want of him.

In the mines, Peekay is still significantly influenced by his past. He never drinks. He’s seen how Doc’s alcoholism physically affects him during piano lesson. He decides not to box in the local league. At home, he was idolized as Onoshobishobi Ingelosi, Tadpole Angel. He doesn’t want to stand out that much. This desire not to stand out doesn’t stop him from learning to his full ability because Doc taught him it was wrong to play dumb. He becomes the first person to pass the international blasting license in 7 years and the youngest person to ever pass it. Peekay, though seemingly independent, is still making decisions based on the ideas of others. Young children are forced to accept the values of their parents, because that is all they know. What makes a person mature and independent, as Peekay has become, is the ability to use their judgment to choose what values they discard, which they keep, and which they incorporate into themselves.