How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
He [...] fixed his collar and tie, but his eyes kept straying to the photograph that was pushed into the upper corner of the frame. (3.1)
You know you're thirsty when you can't even put on your clothes without obsessing about your crush. Although Tod is a great deal older (and hopefully more mature) than Faye, that doesn't stop him from going into full-on creeper mode.
Quote #2
Her invitation wasn't to pleasure, but to struggle, hard and sharp, closer to murder than to love. (3.8)
Okay, Tod, cool it with the emo song lyrics. The fact that Tod describes his feeling towards Faye in terms of violence says a lot about his perception of the girl and their relationship.
Quote #3
"I've been chasing a girl and it's like carrying something a little too large to conceal in your pocket, like a briefcase or a small valise. It's uncomfortable." (4.68)
Is that a small valise in your pocket, or are you just happy to see us? Although Tod resists his feelings at first, he quickly realizes that he's powerless to stop them. So what is he supposed to do? Throw away her phone number? Tear up all the paintings he's made of her? Take a dozen cold showers?
Quote #4
Perhaps Faye also worked for Mrs. Jenning. If so, for thirty dollars… (5.37)
Gross. Tod's obsession with Faye has grown to such staggering proportions that he even fantasizes about her being a prostitute. Because, you know, if she's a prostitute, then he could just pay…
Quote #5
How bold the creature was! She was drunk, of course, but not so drunk that she didn't know what she was doing. He hurriedly labeled his excitement disgust. (8.20)
Like Tod, Homer has had plenty of battles with lust. Unlike Tod, however, Homer actually seems capable of controlling himself. But that doesn't mean he escapes scot-free: although he turns down the woman's advances, he's haunted by the thought of what could have been.
Quote #6
Although she was seventeen, she was dressed like a child of twelve in a white cotton dress with a blue sailor collar. Her long legs were bare and she had blue sandals on her feet. (11.77)
We've included this passage because it's the first mention of Faye's age. This completely changes our perception of her: if we had known that she was seventeen right from the get-go, we'd have been a lot more critical of Tod's obsession. It's also worth noting that Faye looks even younger than she really is, which makes us think that her innocence only makes her more desirable in the eyes of lonely, lusty men.
Quote #7
There are men who can lust with parts of themselves. [...] [O]thers [...] burn fiercely, yet nothing is destroyed. But in Homer's case it would be like dropping a spark into a barn full of hay. (12.3)
Well, at least Tod's emo song lyrics have improved. Although the focus of this passage is on Homer's inability to control his emotions, it raises an interesting question in our minds—which of these categories does Tod fit into? Is he able to lust without destroying himself? Or is he tinder ready for the burning, like Homer?
Quote #8
He expressed some of his desire by a grunt. If he only had the courage to throw himself on her. Nothing less violent than rape would do. (13.26)
We thought that Tod was a decent dude at first (if a little odd), but this passage completely changes our perception of him. While there's no indication that he'd actually go through with rape, the thought reveals the specter of violence often hidden behind lust.
Quote #9
Her self-sufficiency made him squirm and desire to break its smooth surface with a blow, or at least a sudden gesture, became irresistible. (19.118)
Once Tod realizes that he'll never get with Faye, his lust for her takes a noticeably dark turn. In these twisted fantasies, he sees her innocence as something to be squashed and her strength as something to be dominated. What a scumbag, right? The scummiest of all the bags, even.
Quote #10
Having once seen her secret smile and the things that accompanied it, he wanted to make her repeat it again and again. (22.33)
Even Claude catches the bug by the end of the novel. Now that he's not the one being toyed with, though, Tod is able to look at the situation dispassionately and see it as the farce it really is. Still, we kind of doubt he has the capability to apply this knowledge to his own life.