How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
When Grandpa wasn't a grandpa and was just instead a small-fry, hobbledehoy boy blowing out thirteen dripping candles on a lopsided cake, his savvy hit him hard and sudden… and the entire state of Idaho got made. (1.6)
If we go with the idea that savvies are a metaphor for the changes that kids go through in adolescence, what does it mean that Grandpa made Idaho?
Quote #2
But it wasn't peaches, tomatoes, or pickles that our grandma canned, it was radio waves. (4.15)
Back in the day, it sounds (no pun intended) like this would be a really useful savvy, especially since you couldn't record things off of the radio.
Quote #3
That was when that little angel turned its head, twirled its tail, and said, "She's really very lonely, you know […]." (6.21)
This is a big learning moment for Mibs, despite the fact that she lies to herself about it for several more chapters. It's really a metaphor for the changes that come as you grow older: as much as you learn about them when you're young, or see them happen to others, you never really know what's going to happen until it happens to you.
Quote #4
Storm subsiding, he grabbed Will by the wrist to behold the drawing of the sun inked in blue on his palm… Then, understanding that my upset must have something to do with the unexpected things that happen when a Beaumont turns thirteen, Fish did what he had to do. (12.14)
This example shows an important aspect of the Beaumont family and about Fish in particular: the savvy changes make it so that you have to be willing to accept something strange at a moment's notice. Fish seems to be particularly smart and adept at recognizing and dealing with strange things as they happen, but he's also gone through the strange changes of getting a savvy himself.
Quote #5
"A savvy's not a sickness or a disease, Mibs," Grandpa told me. "It's not magic or sorcery, either. Your savvy's in your blood. It's an inheritance, like your brown eyes or your grandma's long toes or her talent for dancing to polka music." (14.3)
Pay attention, Shmoopsters: this is where savvies come from.
Quote #6
Even the stodgiest old codger would dance a jig if Dinah asked. Momma said that Aunt Dinah had stopped a bank robber once, just by telling him to sit down and be still until the police arrived. (14.15)
The interesting thing about Poppa is that he actually manages to resist Dinah's savvy—she tells him to go away and leave her and her sister (Momma) alone, but Poppa's savvy (his ability to persevere) counteracts Dinah's and he manages to win Momma's hand. In that way, savvies act with each other the way that regular abilities do as well: if one ability is stronger than another, the stronger one wins.
Quote #7
Controlled. Fish had controlled his outburst—aimed it even…Fish took a step back in surprise and his storm shut down faster than it had started… He appeared to have finally found the right color paint to complement his savvy. (21.12)
Half the battle of puberty and adolescence is coming to terms with all the weird stuff happening to you and getting a handle on it. And guess what Fish just accomplished? The same thing, it just gets illustrated through his savvy.
Quote #8
"Where's my brother?" I demanded, trying to shut out everything except Carlene's voice inside my head […]. (31.15)
What's very interesting about this moment is that Mibs is actually using her savvy and controlling it—which means she's scumbling way earlier than most of her relatives manage to. You go, girl.
Quote #9
[…] the city was obviously still struggling to recover from Rocket's electric wake. I swallowed hard; I'd never seen Rocket make such a mess. (34.10)
Rocket is on the opposite end of the spectrum from Fish when it comes to scumbling. Can you say late bloomer?
Quote #10
Maybe it was Samson, or my words or my wish… or a miracle. Or maybe… nature was only doing what nature does and it was simply Poppa's time to start healing and waking up. We could never really know. Even with a savvy, some things always stay a mystery. (36.23)
A wise person once said that magic is only science that hasn't been explained yet. What do you think wakes Poppa up?