Quote 1
"You don't have to open the crates right in the middle of main street," Papa said.
"Rules and regulations say I've got to inspect the merchandise for damage," Mr. Larson said.
"You know very well, Nels," Papa said testily, "the only time you ever inspect anything is when the shipment is for me."
"Ain't nothing interesting in the others," Mr. Larson said. (1.76-79)
Mr. Larson uses the law, Tom-style, here, purporting to do good while satisfying his own interests. He wants to check out the new water closet, so he defends his nosiness by appealing to authority.
Quote 2
"T.D. will probably come out of this a hero to every kid in school," Papa said, and that is just how it turned out. (7.202)
Papa says this following Tom's confession of his role in framing Mr. Standish. While Tom may not get Mr. Standish fired, he gets what he and the rest of the students want: a return to Miss Thatcher's policies. Sweet victory.
Quote 3
"Ladies and gentlemen," Papa announced to the crowd. "I am pleased to report that Mr. Harvey and I have successfully installed the first water closet in Adenville. You will be admitted in small groups of not more than six at a time. Mr. Harvey will explain the mechanism of the water closet and how it works. He will also give each group a demonstration. As you leave please pass through the kitchen where Mrs. Fitzgerald will serve refreshments." (1.119)
Refreshments are obviously necessary, because if there's one thing that gives us an appetite, it's watching a toilet flush.
Quote 4
"Let us assume," Papa said patiently, "that Dave Teller, who is a bachelor and cooks his own meals, suddenly stopped buying meat from Mr. Thompson. You can bet Mr. Thompson would have made it his business to find out why. And let us assume that Dave Teller suddenly stopped buying groceries from the Z.C.M.I. store. You can bet Mr. Harmon would have worried enough about it to find out why. And let us assume they found out Dave Teller was broke. You can bet they wouldn't have let Dave Teller starve to death. And if Dave Teller had fainted three times, you can bet the people in this town would have insisted on taking Dave to a doctor whether he wanted to go or not. But Abie was a Jew and so nobody worried about him. May God forgive us all." (6.72)
We have to agree with Papa here. Abie fainted three times and everybody just kind of shrugged? Is nobody in this whole town a Good Samaritan? The community doesn't look nearly so kind and inclusive when we consider their treatment of Abie.
"Are you afraid?" Papa asked.
"Heck, no," Tom said as if becoming impatient with Papa. (3.159-160)
Afraid of the dark, scary cave? Nope. Afraid of losing his investment in the Jensen brothers and their dog? You betcha.
Quote 6
I expected the crowd of grown men and women to throw rotten eggs at Tom after the way he had insulted them. Instead they cheered and applauded.
Papa looked at Mamma and smiled. "What a modest son we have," he said. (3.210-211)
Papa knows how to throw down the verbal irony, otherwise known as sarcasm, or saying one thing and meaning another. Do you detect a bit of pride in his son here, too?
Quote 7
"What Tena means," Papa said, "is that the strongbox was a symbol of Abie's pride. To have it opened and let everybody know it was empty would have meant having charity forced upon him. Abie chose to die with Jewish dignity instead of living in the humiliation of charity. It could never have happened if he hadn't been a Jew." (6.64)
Maybe it's because we don't live in Adenville, but we don't really get this. People of many religious and ethnic persuasions would rather starve than take charity. A little bit of anti-Semitism seems to be showing.
Quote 8
Papa thought for a moment and then snapped his fingers. "Open a variety store right here in Adenville," he said.
Abie's eyes brightened for a second and then became sad. "I'm afraid it wouldn't pay," he said. "The Mormons naturally buy everything they can at the Z.C.M.I. store and there aren't enough non-Mormons in Adenville to support a variety store. Besides, it would take every cent I have to open a store and if it failed…" He did not finish the sentence. (4.57-58)
Abie wants it to work, but he knows from the beginning it's too good to be true. The grown-up dreams are considerably sadder than the kid dreams in this book. Tear.