How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
My friends had some clue I was abnormal […] I could stare off into space sometimes and not be hearing them until they shoved me. (2.15)
In other words, what makes Torey abnormal to his friends is his fondness for thinking. Following the logic of this, then, what makes someone normal to these kids is not thinking. We're pretty sure this isn't a good sign about them.
Quote #2
Chris Creed is about as "grounded" and "normal" as a chimpanzee. (2.32)
Is a chimp normal? We think so. But maybe not according to Steepleton standards. They seem to have a bunch of unwritten rules of behavior that chimps, and apparently Chris Creed, don't understand.
Quote #3
[…] I had never given any thought to the Apostle's Creed or why we said this thing week after week. I thought it was just something "normal" that we said. (2.38)
Here we see normalcy equated with habit, something done without thought or question. Interestingly, here it's associated with religion.