How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Part.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Of course, he wasn't crazy, crazy […] but was a nice crazy like someone you meet in your dreams. (1.3)
This is line helps the readers understand early in the story that Brother does love Doodle, and that he remembers everything about him fondly.
Quote #2
There is within me (and with sadness I have watched it in others) a knot of cruelty borne by the stream of love, much as our blood sometimes bears the seed of our destruction […] (2.8)
This quote takes on lots of meaning when we look at it after we know that Doodle is dead, and when we know how he dies. Brother's guilt comes from his love for Doodle, and from every moment he wishes he could change. The words "borne" means something like "carried" here. Brother is suggesting that love moves in a stream, the way human blood moves in a stream.
Quote #3
[…] he looked straight at me and grinned. (1.5)
Love at first sight! Brother and Doodle have a natural love for one another. Sadly, the expectations and norms of society intrude. If Brother hadn't worried about how other people might see Doodle, he might not have been ashamed of him at all.
Quote #4
There wasn't a sound as Doodle walked slowly across the room and took his seat at the table. (3.16)
We can feel the love in this scene. What a warm moment. To know that a beloved son can walk when they though he couldn't must seem like a miracle. This scene is important because it shows the family lovingly interacting.
Quote #5
[…] and that Doodle walked only because I was ashamed of having a crippled Brother. (3.18)
We feel for Brother here. Even before Doodle dies, Brother feels like he doesn't love Doodle enough. While Mama and Daddy are loving, they don't seem to be the deepest communicators. There is no indication that they guess that Brother is experiencing conflicted emotions and that he needs someone to talk to about them.
Quote #6
He even came up with the idea that he could marry Mama and I could marry Daddy. (4.22)
In this moment we understand just how much the boys love their parents and each other. We also can see that they feel very loved.
Quote #7
"You can do it. Do you want to be different from everybody else when you start school?"
This might seem like a weird quote to put in this theme. But we think it shows lots of love. In the first sentence we see what an encouraging teacher Brother is. He has complete faith in Doodle's abilities. The second sentence reveals love, too. If Brother hadn't loved him so much, he wouldn't have been so concerned that Doodle would suffer at school if he didn't fit in.