Bastard Out of Carolina Appearances Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #1

"Now you look like a Boatwright," she said. "Now you got the look. You're as old as you're ever gonna get, girl. This is the way you'll look till you die." (1.35)

Oh man, if only. Anney is just nineteen when Lyle Parsons dies, so it's pretty unlucky for her that she has already gone through a lifetime of hard times. What effect does it have to have a quote like this at the beginning of the novel, in light of what eventually happens?

Quote #2

I could not have said a word if Great-Great-Granddaddy had been standing there looking back at me with my own black eyes (2.40)

So, Earle seems to think that Bone is bona fide Boatwright material, even if she doesn't enjoy getting into fights that land her in jail. But there is something about her that makes her more like her quiet and gentle great-great-grandfather. What is it about her, then, that makes her Boatwright-y?

Quote #3

"Mama's eyes were soft with old hurt and new hope; Glen's eyes told nothing. The man's image was as flat and empty as a sheet of tin in the sun, throwing back heat and light, but no details—not one clear line of who he really was behind those eyes." (4.13)

Well, now we know what kind of a character Glen is. Or rather, we don't know. Bone's impression of Glen here seems to be one of mistrust. What does it mean that there is "nothing" behind Glen's eyes? Does he have a real personality at all? Does he actually have emotions in the same way that others do? What, if anything, makes him different?