How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
"What if Link thinks it's nobody's business?" I ask.
"If you want to know your brother better, you have to be willing to let him know that."
As if by not asking Link, I don't want to know him. That's not fair.
"Yes," I say, wanting to yell at her that if she has many reasons for not asking Link, I might do well to follow her example.
"I know Link can be a difficult person to talk to," Mom says. "He is very like his father, but they are both worth every effort."
"Hmmmm," I say, no longer wanting to yell, just frustrated that I am not going to get an answer from anyone other than my prickly, secretive brother. (5.24-29)
Mom is kind of throwing Ellen under the bus. She's too scared about what will happen if she talks to Link about his possible homosexuality, so she makes her naïve fourteen-year-old do it for her. Yikes. How do you think things would have been different if she had been a bit braver about confronting/supporting Link?
Quote #8
"Link and I have been needing to have this conversation for some time," he says.
"You didn't have a conversation," I say, in case he thinks people stomping out is any kind of talking.
"We had enough," James says. "Our positions are clear now."
(6.4-6)
James is an experienced Link translator. Even though Link didn't stick around for a good talk to DTR (Define The Relationship), he did protest pretty loudly about not being gay. Even though that may not be the complete truth, James knows where he stands.
Quote #9
"And if it's not asking too much," James says, "I would like to cure at least one McConnell of the belief that saying nothing means there's nothing to say." (6.18)
Boom, nailed it. James sees the problem that the McConnell's lack of communication is developing, and we love him for talking to Ellen about everything. He's clearly the one person who is willing to do so.