How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"Do you notice things like that, Marcelo? You know, when a woman is hot to look at, pleasant to the eyes, attractive? Do you get that urge we all get when we see a good female body?" (7.66)
Marcelo doesn't even know what the urge is yet, which makes Wendell's question one of the most confusing ones he's been asked in his short time in the real world.
Quote #2
I know that Wendell's finger poking is a gesture meant to signify sexual intercourse and that the rising arm signifies an erection. The rules regarding sexuality and conversations about sexuality are hazy, confusing. (7.87)
What Marcelo doesn't get here is that there aren't really any definite rules (other than not hurting anyone, of course). Wendell's being crude and obnoxious, but he's not breaking the law. He's just making himself look like a jerk.
Quote #3
Women are Wendell's special interest, I say to myself. (9.24)
Sounds like a guy who needs to get another special interest. We'll be over here having soup with Jasmine and debating Keith Jarrett vs. Glenn Gould.
Quote #4
"It is hard for Marcelo to look at women the way Wendell does. When I tried to see a woman the way he does, there was something that made me think of Adam and Eve when they saw each other naked and felt ashamed. Why? If sex is good, why is there shame?" (12.28)
Ah, the question of the ages. If you have even the slightest inkling you might be hurting yourself or someone else when you have sex, you're already halfway up the apple tree with the snake.
Quote #5
"Sexual intercourse is how humans procreate. The erect penis of the man goes into the vagina of the woman. I am not a child." (12.45)
Marcelo may understand the nuances of religion, but he's got a lot to learn about the nuances of sex.
Quote #6
"You want to f*** her." I hate using the word, but it is the word that most accurately describes what I think Wendell wants to do. The other alternatives like "making love" or even "sexual intercourse" do not seem precise enough. (13.39)
What a bummer that this is Marcelo's real-world lesson in the nuances of normal-people language. Thanks, Wendell. You're a great teacher, said no one never.
Quote #7
I stand there looking at the boxes. What happened? Why did I hesitate in telling Wendell I would not help do anything that may harm Jasmine? How could it be that even as I understand Wendell's views on sex, I am still pulled toward success in my father's eyes? (15.34)
The desire for others' approval is a powerful force. It's kind of like how Arturo and Holmes are falling all over themselves for the approval of a corporation, motivated by dollar signs.
Quote #8
"There's plenty of places to go whoring. Man's got a dick, he'll find a hole to put it in." (22.71)
Amos is even cruder about sex than Wendell, but without the malice. In other words, he says really dirty stuff, but he's not trying to hurt anyone, or use it for power.
Quote #9
Perhaps the comfort I feel around Jasmine is also sexual in a way I don't understand. Maybe attraction for another person is like the IM, where body and mind cannot be separated. (23.126)
Marcelo instinctively realizes something Wendell will never get: the kind of attraction that lasts is the kind that starts in the brain.
Quote #10
I realize for the first time that Jasmine and I will be sleeping side by side. I have never slept with anyone else except Yolanda, when we went to Spain, and then we each had a single bed in a hotel room. This is different somehow. It makes me nervous. (24.43)
When Marcelo thinks about sleeping with someone, he's actually thinking about sleeping. In a way, that's more romantic than sex—especially for a guy like Marcelo.