How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
In the outside world I thought of myself as a grown man, independent of my family, but in my own home I was merely a twelve-year-old boy who had been frightened by my father's absence. (3.7)
Even Vahan recognizes that there's a difference between who he sees himself as in his mind versus in reality. Sure he likes to think of himself as tough as nails, but in reality, he's just a sheltered kid.
Quote #2
"You have your whole life to show a man who you are," my grandmother once told her with a smile. "Let him dream for a while." (4.6)
When his grandma says this, Vahan doesn't really get it—he knows how to dream, but he's had nothing to fear or worry about. Pretty soon though, his dreams become his identity. He'd rather live in the world he imagines in his head than the real nightmare he's in.
Quote #3
Secretly, I had always thought that I was one of them, that given the opportunity I, too, could face death with a wink or a shrug or a smile. And now I knew that I was not brave, that my fear of death was so strong that I could not control my own body. (5.9)
Vahan wants to be like the soldiers and adventurers he's read about, but the truth is that he doesn't live in the world of fiction where heroes are easy to create. In the real world, Vahan is still figuring out who he is: brave, scared, or a little bit of both.
Quote #4
As time passed, I began to know my fellow prisoners by their moans and whispers, and I began to know death by the absence of those sounds. (6.44)
The Armenian prisoners are stripped of their identities during this time because they are no longer in control of their own lives. They get their homes and stuff taken from them, and have to live in horrible conditions—as time wears on, they are no longer individuals, but numbers and bodies in this dark room.
Quote #5
For the first time in my life, I actually hated God. All my life I had felt His hand in all the happiness and good fortune that my family and I had enjoyed, and now I felt betrayed. (12.2)
It's not surprising that Vahan feels this way given what he's been through. He used to find solace in God, but now he just hates the guy. If we look closely though, we'll see that Vahan is really searching for a way of figuring this whole thing out, and finding his place among the shuffle.
Quote #6
I wish I could tell you that I discovered reserves of courage inside myself that I had never suspected, and that I became as last my father's son. But I didn't. (13.1)
Vahan's dad is a big inspiration and motivation for him. He knows that he should be the way his father taught him to act—strong, determined, and proud—yet he has a hard time given his situation. Can you blame him? We think even his dad would see that.
Quote #7
If I had had an ounce of my father's pride or character, I never would have returned. (17.3)
It's back to the Altoonians' pad for Vahan, but not before a dose of guilt as he imagines what his dad would think. Even in his life-or-death situation, Vahan still uses his dad as a barometer for how he should behave.
Quote #8
I did not know it then, but in their eyes, in the eyes of all Turks, the physically or mentally infirm were friends of God and therefore deserving of such kindness. As long as they believed I could not them or speak a single word, I would be safe. (23.19)
Who knew? Vahan becomes a deaf mute as a way of surviving, but he also finds some comfort in living among the Turkish refugees. He feels at home with them, and begins to question who he is since this is the case.
Quote #9
The name they gave me was Galib, and as the weeks and months past, I became more and more willing to think of myself as Galib, to see the village through Galib's eye and hear only the silence inside myself. (24.6)
Vahan pretends to be Galib—and later a girl—to stay under the radar, but it's not long before he too wonders who he really is. Why does he feel comfortable acting as a deaf and mute guy? How can he live with himself when he lies to people to survive?
Quote #10
I had lost three years of schooling and I was determined to learn as much as I could. The more I learned, I reasoned, the more I could become—for myself and my family. (35.6)
In the end, Vahan comes to terms with who he is, and that guy is different than the guy he used to be. He's grown up a lot over the course of the novel, and he recognizes that he's grown and learned as a result of the tough times he's dealt with.