How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Now, I had to see the bridge. How many times would I be this high up and have a sight as spectacular as the Golden Gate Bridge right underneath me? (2.19)
Delphine's reaction to her flight cements her as a young gal, even if she is responsible for her sisters. Delphine is stoked. And yet a touch of maturity oozes in, too, as she considers this flight a rare opportunity.
Quote #2
When you're six, you picture your mother living on black and gray tar full of potholes, broken glass, skid marks, and blackened gum, all of that overrun by cars, buses, and trucks. […] When you're six, you wonder why your mother would rather live on the street, in a hole in the wall, and sleep on park benches next to winos than live with you. (4.3)
Of course now that she's matured to the ripe old age of eleven, Delphine knows better. The contrast here between what she thought back then (when she was six) and what she thinks now shows us just how much Delphine has been forced to grow up because of her mom leaving.
Quote #3
Vonetta and Fern raced down the hall, pushing to be first. Cecile yelled after them, but they were too excited to hear her. (4.25)
Again and again, Delphine characterizes her sisters as really young, telling us that they goof off and bicker all the time. While these are totally normal things that siblings do together when growing up, in commenting on her sisters' behavior, we sense that Delphine is somehow above it herself.
Quote #4
Vonetta smiled, welcoming their interest in us. She was scouting out new friends to be with the next twenty-eight days. I let her lag a step or two behind to wink and smile at them. You can't stop Vonetta from chasing after friends. (5.40)
Delphine thinks it's silly to make new friends for such a short stay. In her mind, she has bigger things to worry about that don't include chasing people on the playground or giggling at silly games for kids. She's so much older and wiser than Vonetta, you know.
Quote #5
Vonetta and Fern were soon under the spell of Peter and Wendy flying like fairies. (8.8)
We love ourselves some Peter Pan, but Delphine thinks it's a book just for kids and she's too mature for it. At every stage, Delphine separates herself from her younger siblings. She knows how much time they need in the bath, reminds them to brush their teeth, cooks them dinner, and even reads them a bedtime story. It's like she's a mom already at the tender age of eleven.
Quote #6
Before Cecile got to me I said, "They don't ask kids nothing. No one listens to kids." (12.38)
Gulp. Cecile's right about one thing: No one really cares what kids have to say because they automatically assume kids don't know what they're talking about. It's one of the most unfair aspects of being a kid for Delphine. Everyone expects her to act like an adult, but no one treats her like one.
Quote #7
"Scrub like you're a gal from a one-cow town near Pratville, Alabama," she'd tell me while Vonetta and Fern ran around and played. "Can't have you dreaming out of your head and writing on the walls. That'll only read to ruin." (15.1)
Notice how Vonetta and Fern get to play while Delphine does all the chores? We get that she's the older sister, but we think it's a lot of responsibility for one young kid. It's no wonder she doesn't know how to have fun and relax—she's expected to pull more weight and act more mature than her siblings all the time.
Quote #8
I'd never made a mess in my life. Not even for the fun of it. (16.30)
Well isn't Delphine just a parent's dream? Hey, we get that it's annoying to clean up after spills and messes, but that's just part of being a kid. Delphine needs to take a chill pill. It's as though she's allergic to anything that kids do. Maybe she's trying so hard to prove she's responsible that she's forgotten what it's like to be a kid.
Quote #9
I screamed. So loud I startled myself. I had never heard myself scream. Screamed from the top of my lungs, from the pit of my heart. Screamed like I was snaking and falling. Screamed and hiccupped and laughed like my sisters. Like I was having the time of my life, flying down that glorious hill. (29.43)
Yippee. Delphine finally lets her hair down and acts her age. And you know what? It's fun to be eleven. You get to fly down a hill on a go-kart and scream until your throat is sore. Delphine gets to let lose for once and we couldn't be happier for her.
Quote #10
"Be eleven, Delphine. Be eleven while you can." (32.42)
Of everything Cecile says in the book, this is the thing we agree with the most. Sometimes Delphine needs to relax. She's only a kid and she should act like it, at least sometimes. We hate to be the voice of reason, but we'd also like to point out that this life advice is a little unfair coming from Cecile. The reason Delphine always acts responsibly is because no one else does. Someone has to take care of Cecile's kids…