How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
[Clara's] dad had wanted her to study medicine instead of arts. Medicine was what he'd wanted to study when he'd been young, only his elderly parents had forced him to do accounting instead. (4.3)
Too many parents make the mistake of seeing their children as extensions of themselves rather than separate individuals. This seems to be Charlie's problem, as well as Jessaline's parents'. Wanting your kids to follow in your footsteps or have the opportunities you didn't get is nice—but your kids have to want it, too. Charlie may think he's doing what's best for Clara, but he's actually continuing the vicious cycle his parents created.
Quote #2
When [Lily] suggested he get someone to do the mowing, a small spurt of rage had flared hotly against his ribs. She thought he was past it! He could hear it in her voice. Past mowing a bit of grass himself! (5.3)
In Pop's defense, Lily really should know better than to get between an eighty-year-old man and his independence—no one ever told a guy like Pop to stop mowing his lawn and had it end well. Still, Stan clearly suffers from the prideful edge a lot of dudes his age get as they struggle with the inevitability of getting old.
Quote #3
Parties in their family always seemed to end in fights. Or even start with them, like this one would if Lonnie came along and Pop was still disgusted with him. (12.57)
Parties in the Samson family largely fail because they're a clash of a ton of prideful personalities—a whole lot of people trying to convince each other that it's their way or the highway. This may be pretty normal behavior, but it can turn deadly if the patriarch owns an ax and isn't afraid to use it.