How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"Matt and me, we've never told anyone about you," Mark said, suddenly serious, which was strange for him. "And you know Mother and Dad don't say anything. You're good at hiding. So you're safe, you know?" (3.20)
If you have siblings, you know how this works: your brothers can tease you mercilessly, but the minute someone else does, they've got your back. Mark takes a break from teasing his little brother to reassure him that everything will be all right. Exactly what a big brother should do.
Quote #2
He might as well just rot up here in the attic. He'd thought about that before, on the rare occasions when Mother, Dad, Matthew and Mark all went somewhere and left him behind--what if something happened to them and they never came back? Would someone find him years from now, abandoned and dead? (3.35)
Check this out: Luke initially feared that he would get left behind by his family and then later on he ends up getting a fake I.D. and leaving them. Maybe it's not as scary when you're in control of the decision, but at this moment, Luke sees his family as his first line of defense. Losing that protection is just as scary as losing the woods.
Quote #3
Luke studied her face, seeing lines of fatigue that hadn't been there before, noticing that the hair around her face now held as much gray as brown. [...]
Luke sat up. "That's okay, Mother. I'm getting too old for this any"--he swallowed a lump in his throat--"anyway. I bet you weren't still tucking Matthew or Mark in when they were twelve." (7.21-25)
To be fair, Matthew and Mark probably weren't stuck hiding in the attic all day when they were twelve, either. But this is big step: Luke is starting to focus on his family as a whole rather than his individual needs.
Quote #4
"That's okay, Luke," he said. "I'm not sure I'd want any son of mine getting too good at baking, anyhow. That's what a man gets married for."
Matthew and Mark guffawed.
"Getting married soon, Luke?" Mark teased.
"Sure," Luke said, struggling to sound as devil-may-care as Mark. "But don't think I'd invite you to the wedding."
He felt a cold, hard lump in his stomach that wasn't the bread. Of course he'd never get married. Or do anything. He'd never leave the house. (10.24-28)
Ouch. It's a big joke to Mark and Matthew, but not so funny to Luke, who knows that he'll never be allowed to marry. This scene not only shows the dynamic of Luke's family (like, come on Mr. Garner, what's wrong with men baking bread?) but also calls to mind the future family that Luke will never have.
Quote #5
"I don't know," he said. "I don't know any Jennifers. Just Matthew and Mark and Mother and Dad." He knew his parents' real names were Edna and Harlan, but he wondered if he shouldn't keep that secret. Just in case. (15.38)
Even while breaking every rule in the book, Luke is still very much aware of protecting his parents. Looks like the impulse to keep the family safe goes both ways.
Quote #6
"Mom was going through some snobbish upper-class phase with husband number one."
"She's had more than one husband?" Luke asked. He didn't know that was possible.
"Sure," Jen said. "Dad--who's really my stepdad--is number three." (16.37-39)
Given the traditional Garner family dynamics, Luke probably finds three husbands way more shocking than three kids. It's also a nice bit of proof that a family can look a lot different from mom, dad, and two kids. Hopefully third time's the charm for Jen's mom.
Quote #7
Jen rolled her eyes. "Yeah, all Mom's husbands have been. Strange taste, huh? Number one was an environmental lawyer, of all things; number two was corporate--that's how they had enough money to get me. And number three, Dad, is with the Government. High up, I might add." (16.58)
Further evidence of families coming in all shapes and sizes: Mr. Talbot isn't Jen's biological father, but that doesn't stop her from calling him "dad." This is also a good hint that Mr. Talbot is a nice guy—not only does he marry a woman with two kids of her own, but he's such a good stepdad that she'll call him Dad.
Quote #8
"Would they ever betray you?" Jen narrowed her eyes, truly curious. "Not now, necessarily, but, say, years from now, if your parents were dead and it wouldn't hurt anybody but you, and they'd get lots of money for it--"
It was a question Luke had never considered. But he knew the answer.
"Never," he said, his voice cracking with earnestness. (21.45-46)
Now for a round of "Things Luke Never Worried About Before." Sure hope he's right about this.
Quote #9
"I'd give anything to have her back," he whispered. "But it's true. I saw. They gave us...they gave us the body. Special privilege for a Government official." His voice was so bitter, Luke could barely listen. "And now we couldn't even bury her in the family plot. Couldn't take a bereavement day off work. Couldn't tell anyone why we're going around with red eyes and aching hearts. No--we just had to pretend to be the same old family of four we'd always been." (27.37)
Even in death, Jen can't be acknowledged as being part of the Talbot family, and to make matters worse for her family, they have to go around pretending that nothing is wrong. Ouch.
Quote #10
Dad sighed heavily.
"The boy's right. He needs to go now, if he can."
Luke could tell his father's words came out painfully, but they still stabbed at him. Maybe part of him had been secretly hoping his parents would forbid him to go, would lock him in the attic and keep him as their little boy forever. (30.15-17)
Even if he wanted to, Luke wouldn't be able to stay a kid forever. Just as hard it is for him to leave, it's probably harder for his family to let him go. This about that as you're working on your college applications.