How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
"It—it ain't much," stammered Jeremy as Stacey tore off the wrapping. "M-made it myself." Stacey slid his fingers down the smooth, sanded back of a wooden flute. "Go 'head and try it," said a pleased Jeremy. "It blows real nice." (7.85)
We have to hand it to Jeremy for putting himself out there like this. Why do you think Jeremy's stammering here? What kind of a risk is he taking as he gives this gift to Stacey? Ugh, this scene kind of bums us out.
Quote #5
"Actually, he's much easier to get along with than T.J.," Stacey went on. 'And I s'pose if I let him, he could be a better friend than T.J." (7.106)
For Taylor, friendship is not just a black and white issue (so to speak). It's shaded and nuanced. T.J. may be black, but he's actually less of a friend than Jeremy, who's too dangerous to befriend.
Quote #6
"Far as I'm concerned, friendship between black and white don't mean that much 'cause it usually ain't on an equal basis. Right now you and Jeremy might get along fine, but in a few years he'll think of himself as a man but you'll probably still be a boy to him. And if he feels that way, he'll turn on you in a minute." (7.107)
This is a hard lesson for Stacey to learn: he can't be friends with Jeremy because the two aren't on equal footing. In what ways has this changed since the 1930s? Do you think that everyone is on equal footing now, so that this type of friendship can totally work?