How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
The bus heaved to a halt at my stop, the stop I'd been getting off at my whole life, in front of a mold-gray house a few doors down from ours, with five cars parked on the lawn – cars that had been there since the dawn of time, at least. (2.51)
While most teenagers hate some aspect of where they live, Deanna's life actually does sound really bleak. Nothing says "I've given up" like a yard full of broken-down cars.
Quote #2
Stacy and my dad were arguing when I got home. They stood in the dim hall, my dad dripping wet in his robe, Stacy still wearing the dirty sweats and bouncing April in her arms. They didn't seem to notice me. (2.115)
Home isn't just the physical structure—it's the dynamics of the people in it. Ironically Deanna's house being crammed full of people makes it easier for her to disappear. Can you relate to this?
Quote #3
"I hope you're not going out of your way to cook anything for Stacy," Dad said. "This isn't a hotel; we don't do room service." (3.40)
Deanna's father's anger at Stacy could have something to do with sleep deprivation—after all, there's a crying baby in his house. He feels that if he's awake in the morning after a night of April crying, Stacy should be too.
Quote #4
I hated Mondays. Mom worked, Darren worked, and Stacy took the car to do errands, which left me home alone with Dad […] it was impossible to deal with. I had to get out. (3.134)
Deanna's dad ignores her, but even his presence in the house is enough to make her feel crowded. The crowding isn't just physical—it's psychological.
Quote #5
"Mention it?" He threw a wrench onto the grass […] "Like how you mentioned that Stacy was pregnant three weeks after Darren told you? Don't I have a right to know what's going on in my own house?" (5.12)
Deanna's mom thinks she's doing everybody a favor by hiding the truth and covering it up with fake happiness, but instead she's adding to her husband's feeling that he's lost control of his life and his family.
Quote #6
"S***," she said. "I guess we're going home." (5.128)
Stacy fantasizes about escape just as much as Deanna does, but hers is different: she wants to go back to her partying days. It's much more of a fantasy than Deanna's concrete plan to save money and move out.
Quote #7
I imagined a time not too far off when she and I would be pulling up to a different house, a different door. It would be a place we'd look forward to going to. (5.129)
The one bit of hope Deanna has in her life is to create her own home with people who love her. She imagines that Stacy shares the same hope, with Deanna as part of the picture. If they could just get out of the Lamberts' house, they could maybe be peaceful and happy.
Quote #8
I'd reach across and grab the hand of that other Deanna and say come on, it's okay now. You're home. (5.129)
Deanna sees herself as two people—the person she was before Tommy and the person she is now. She can't integrate them until she gets out of her dad's house, or at least until she finds the guts to face Tommy down. She's had to shut down for now, give up her voice and her power, just to survive day-to-day.