How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"One day you will do things for me that you hate. That is what it means to be a family." (1.4)
She used to wipe your bum; one day you'll wipe her bum. (Or something like that.) This is coming from Alex's mother, who toils away for her family because she wants a better life for them. Of course, Alex's father is cruel and abusive, so simply being "family" isn't the end-all be-all reason to treat someone with care and respect.
Quote #2
Grandfather's name is also Alexander. Supplementally is Father's. We are all the primogenitory children in our families, which brings us tremendous honor. (1.11)
We see this repetition of family names often throughout the book. While Alex's family is a little less creative than Jonathan's (as you'll see later), there's a certain feeling of respect for elders that comes with inheriting a family name—but we bet, from a different angle, it could also make you feel trapped. If you're the sixth Alexander in a line of Alexanders, your path in life has been pretty well mapped out.
Quote #3
What was the image that pulled me in? […] So simple. In the water, I saw my father's face, and that face saw the face of its father, and so on, and so on, reflecting backward to the beginning of time, to the face of God, in whose image we were created. (6.16)
How far back can you trace your ancestry? Is it possible to trace it back to your father's father's father, and then back even further, all the way to the beginning of humanity? Biblical literalists would say yes—we all go back to Adam. But scientists also say yes: every human living on earth shares the common ancestor of Mitochondrial Eve.