Belle Prater's Boy Jealousy Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #1

"The idea was that she would be the belle of the ball," Granny said, and gazed out the window with a long-ago look in her eyes. "We always hoped she would be."

"And was she?" I said.

"No, dear. Your mama was the belle of every ball. She was near about the prettiest thing on the planet. And poor Belle…" (2.7-9)

Belle's been resentful about Love's natural beauty since they were both girls. It was always impossible for her to measure up when Love was the belle of every ball, catching every single boy's eye.

Quote #2

It was true. Funny thing was, I used to like Porter Dotson fine when he was just the feller down the street who ran the newspaper. He was funny and friendly. Then he married my mama two years ago, and I stopped liking him. Every time I saw him sitting there where my daddy used to sit reading the paper by the picture window, I wanted to shout at him, "Move your carcass outa my daddy's place!" (2.50)

Gypsy doesn't have any real reason to dislike Porter Dotson except for the fact that he's married to her mother. She's mad at him for taking her father's place… even though her father isn't around anymore.

Quote #3

"So how did Aunt Belle take it?"

"Badly," Mama said. "She…"

Mama paused and I saw her chin quiver.

"She… she was like a whipped dog. She shut herself up in her room, wouldn't talk to anybody, lost weight, cried…" (5.14-17)

Oh, poor Aunt Belle. She really took it horribly when Amos left her for Love. She couldn't handle seeing them together and ended up having to leave town because it was so hard for her.