How we cite our quotes: Chapter.paragraph
Quote #1
"Shhh," Cirone says, even though we weren't talking. "They hear Sicilian and they'll chase us off."
I don't get why people here don't like Sicilian. Our family supplies this town, Tallulah, with the best fruits and vegetables. You'd think the sound of Sicilian would make their mouths water. (1.8-9)
Why don't the townspeople like hearing the Italian spoken around them? Is it because the use of that language is evidence that the Sicilians are "different" from the white townspeople? Do any of the townspeople try to learn anything about the Sicilians and their language? Why or why not?
Quote #2
She overheard Cirone and me as we unloaded crates, and she asked what we were speaking. She said Sicilian was pretty, like music. (1.11)
Patricia's openness to the sound of Italian, even though she grew up in Tallulah, shows how special and how different from others she is. It also helps to set her up as a good match for Calo.
Quote #3
"[…] You went inside and slept through most of it. Besides, he said it in English and all you speak is Sicilian. But if you had understood…"
"I didn't. That's my point. I didn't understand. Neither did Giuseppe or Rosario. So we weren't insulted. We went to bed peaceful […]." (2.15)
See no evil, hear no evil… What Carlo says is true, but does not understanding come at a price? At least Francesco bothered to try to defend himself to the man who was bashing him with insults and lies—but on the flipside, in a situation like this, it might do more harm than good to stick up for yourself.