How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Get on back to the house, Little Man. You know yo' mammy and pappy's home. I fried you some chicken for dinner and they's waiting.
I didn't feel like trying to say anything. I knocked again. She opened the door.
All right. Get in here quick and tell me about paper collectin'. (6.37-39)
When Victor gets home from a day of collecting money on the paper route, he doesn't want to talk to his parents first. Nope; he wants to talk to Mam because she's the person that he trusts and loves most in all the world.
Quote #2
I was expecting Mam's mad look but she just got out of her chair and went to her chest of drawers. She looked in the cracked mirror above the chest with her quiet look. She put her little sewing form in the top drawer and then sat down in her chair. She pulled her Bible onto her lap.
Don't be worryin' 'bout your jackknife. Get on to the house now and eat your fried chicken. (6.52-53)
Instead of getting mad when Victor tells Mam about how Ara T stole his knife, Mam just gets quiet. She clearly loves Victor a whole lot since she's willing to go after someone that she normally avoids in order to get his knife back.
Quote #3
My father never seemed to mind that I stuttered so much. He even said when I turned thirteen he would be buying me a shotgun and he wanted to take me hunting with him and his friends. I knew he was always tired when he got home from work and he really didn't like to pitch and catch much but he always took the time to do it if I asked him. (8.5)
Victor's father is a pretty awesome dad. He always shows Victor a lot of love and acceptance, and even wants him to hang out with his grown-up friends.
Quote #4
Friday morning my father surprised me by saying he was going to take off work that afternoon and we could have lunch anywhere I wanted and take in a matinee. (8.8)
Victor's dad is a family man. Even though he normally works a lot and sometimes gets home late (or takes off for a business trip), he still tries to make time for his family, and especially for Victor. That's because he loves the kid.
Quote #5
s-s-s-s-If you're s-s-s-s-awake can we s-s-s-s-talk?
Mornin', Little Man.
The way Mam said Little Man always made me feel good. It was a good way to start the day. (11.5-7)
When Victor's parents are out of town, Mam stays in the other bed in Victor's room. It's nice to have her there, especially because he feels safe and understood so long as she's around.
Quote #6
Somebody had hurt Mam and she had been quiet and moving slow all week but she was smiling when she sang with her choir about angels with wings and about going to heaven. Seeing Mam happy always led me into a calmer way of thinking. I sat out on the wooden benches so I could watch Mam. She mostly kept her eyes on the man who was leading the choir but she smiled every time she looked over at me and I gave her back a good smile. (11.50)
Victor's been worried sick about Mam since she came back with all those injuries, so when he sees her smiling from her place in the choir, he's relieved. The Mam he knows and loves is back.
Quote #7
Mam was always saying that she was going to whup me but she would have walked barefoot across Egypt before she even thought about spanking me. (12.68)
Whenever Mam threatens Victor, he doesn't take it all too seriously. She loves him way too much to ever punish him when he's done something wrong. She's only bluffing.
Quote #8
I knew the last thing my father wanted to do after flying his plane all day was pitch and catch with me. I wasn't much interested in throwing ball either. I still felt empty with all my tears gone. But I pretended that pitching ball was just what I wanted. So both of us ended up doing something we didn't really want to so we could make the other feel good. (19.69)
By the end of the book, Victor realizes that true love means doing things to make other people happy—even if it's not exactly what you want to do. By that definition, it's clear that Victor and his father love each other very much.
Quote #9
Walking home from Paul's house late one afternoon I turned the corner and there were Mr and Mrs. Worthington walking ahead of me on Melrose. They were holding hands and swinging them like girls on a playground. They were acting happy but whether they really were or not I couldn't say. (20.16)
Love is complicated, and after getting a glimpse into Mrs. Worthington's life and her marriage, Victor can't tell if she and her husband actually love each other. They certainly have a lot of problems.
Quote #10
Mam was on the back row in her starched white uniform and wearing her round black hat but when I looked at her she got her pocketbook and came to stand with me in the front. I told her how glad I was that she had come to live with us and I thanked her for saving my life. (20.38)
If Victor could tell Mam anything, he'd show her just how much he appreciates having her in his life. Not only has she saved his life (for real), she's always there for him, ready to listen and take care of him.