Tales of the Madman Underground Compassion and Forgiveness Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #1

I knew it was dangerous to get all dumb and sentimental. And yet all the same, right when I was about to sign up for my senior year classes, I tried to really celebrate Mom's birthday, instead of just giving her the money to get drunk, high, and laid, like I had the year before. This time, I told her, she was going to be just slightly spoiled. (2.3)

Karl kind of knows that his plans for his mom's birthday are going to turn out badly before they even get started. But, although he knows his mom is a walking disaster waiting to happen, he loves her enough to do it anyway. Would he have still taken her for pizza if he'd known it would land him in Gratz's class? Maybe not.

Quote #2

Okay, here's the worst part. I don't remember ever talking about it, but Squid knew about the rabbit. I could see that in his eyes. He never said a word, he just knew. But Squid forgave me. Really forgave me, I mean, all the way to trusting me and accepting me as his friend, and I would swear I didn't have a more loyal friend from then on. (4.64)

What about you? Would you be able to forgive a friend for—gosh, we don't even want to say it—hurting your pet? We'd say that Squid is able to forgive Karl because between going to his mom's funeral and standing up for him in therapy, Karl has more than proved his trustworthiness.

Quote #3

When I went back to the shed to return the spade and posthole digger, I picked up one of my "headstones"—a big plug of Readi-Mix poured into a plastic milk jug bottom. I carried it out, turned it over onto the grave, and with a Sharpie marker, I wrote, SUNFLOWER SHOEMAKER, 9/5/73, GOOD KITTY RIP on the plastic top. (7.59)

It probably won't come as a shock to you to hear that Karl doesn't exactly like his mom's cats. And yet, when one dies or gets mauled by a raccoon, he still faithfully buries it and marks its grave.