Crash Change Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #7

Abby was on the bed, jabbering away. He was propped up on the pillow. His face—everything—was different. His mouth was sort of crooked, like he was smirking; only I knew he wasn't. (35.11)

When Crash goes to visit Scooter in the hospital, he's disturbed by how much his grandfather has changed. This, in turn, inspires some changes in Crash himself—but for the better. On another note, how does Crash know his grandfather isn't smirking? Could he be wrong?

Quote #8

Crash Coogan. The Crash Man. Suddenly the name didn't seem to fit exactly. I had always thought my name and me were the same thing. Now there was a crack of daylight between them, like my shell was coming loose. It was scary. (36.26)

Crash. The Crashmeister. Crash-a-lama-ding-dong. The Crash Man, making observations about his identity. And, yeah, we can see how that would be a little scary. He's identified himself in one way for such a long time. If he gives up a big part of that identity, who will he be? Answer: a nice guy.

Quote #9

I miss him very much. Most of all, I miss the stories that he used to tell me about the old days. Sometimes he makes me sad when he says that he feels himself disappearing like the prairie. (39.10)

Penn quotes his great-grandfather here, saying that "he feels himself disappearing like the prairie." What does he mean? Explain the metaphor.