Belle Prater's Boy Identity Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #1

"Then Love went away to college, you know, over to Radford to learn to be a teacher like her daddy. And for the first time Belle had boyfriends of her own. She went to dances and parties and took on a bloom in her cheeks. She was almost pretty, and having the time of her life. Then along came Amos." (2.26)

With Love gone, Aunt Belle was allowed to reinvent herself. She didn't have to be Love's plainer sister anymore; she could actually be a pretty girl with men following her around.

Quote #2

And it occurred to me that Woodrow would never say anything like that. He did not think of me as "just a girl" any more than I thought of him as a cross-eyed boy. (3.68)

The nice thing about Gypsy and Woodrow's friendship is that they see each other for who they really are. They don't typecast each other into the roles other people assign them, like pretty girl or cross-eyed hillbilly boy.

Quote #3

"How grown-up you seem tonight, Gypsy," she said wistfully. "It's almost like talking to another adult."

"Really?" I said, pleased.

"Really. But now give me some little-girl sugar and get some shut-eye." (5.44-46)

Gypsy is always delighted when people recognize her for something other than her beauty and ridiculously long hair. It's nice to be told that she's smart, or grown-up, or a great pianist.