How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"God will punish you for this! 'He who plucks one hair from the head of a child of mine, it is as though he doeth this to me, thus sayeth the Lord.'" Pik Botha was shaking his finger at Big Hettie and panting away like the old yellow b**** I had met the previous night.
"Keep your preaching for the next prayer meeting at the Apostolic Faith Mission, you miserable little shithouse." (7.11-12)
Do you think that Pik Botha and Big Hettie are serious, or are they just exaggerating for a fun fight? They're being pretty harsh with each other, and their fight seems to be not just about religion, but also about how they go about showing off their religion.
Quote #2
My mother sighed. "There is so much to be done before He comes again and takes us to His glory." She turned to me. "We have a lovely Sunday School at the Apostolic Faith Mission. You are not too young to meet the Lord, to be born again, my boy. The Lord has a special place in His heart for His precious children." (8.22)
This quote is kind of ironic, given that Peekay had been tortured brutally as a "precious child." If Peekay ever needed a special place in the Lord's heart, it was when the Judge was doing all sorts of evil things to him; it's a little late for the Lord to come back to him now.
Quote #3
Big Hettie had said Pik was a born-again Christian and also that he belonged to the Apostolic Faith Mission. Her tone had implied that both situations left a great deal to be desired. How had my mother come to this? [. . .] What was the new language and who exactly was this person called the Lord? (8.26)
Poor Peekay has a lot to learn, and many nights of going to bed without supper won't be enough to teach him who the Lord is.
Quote #4
"She is much changed since she has returned," Dum said.
"She has made us take off our bangles of womanhood, and these dresses make our bodies very hot," Dee added with a sad little sniff. (8.98)
Why do you think that Peekay's mom uses her power over the servants to determine their religion? Is she afraid of their traditions? Is it a way of controlling them?
Quote #5
"That disgusting, filthy, evil old man was tampering with the mind of my five-year-old son! God is not mocked! How could I let a black heathen woman riddled with superstition bring up my only son?" She picked up her cup and took a polite sip. "Your nanny was possessed by the devil," she said finally, satisfied the discussion was over. (8.94)
Peekay's mother may be feeling guilty because the witch doctor came to take care of Peekay's bedwetting and Nanny stepped in as mother to Peekay, all because she had gone to the mental hospital.
Quote #6
"It is better just to get on with the business of living and minding your own business and maybe, if God likes the way you do things, he may just let you flower for a day or a night. But don't' go pestering and begging and telling him all your stupid little sins, that way you will spoil his day. Absoloodle." (10.37)
Doc is talking about a cactus in South America that only flowers once a century, and using it as a metaphor for his own relationship with God. What is it with Doc and his cacti?
Quote #7
I guess my mother was right when she said if I kept rejecting the Lord and hardening my heart one day He might just go away and leave me to it. That's what must have happened, because after a while it got a lot easier and I didn't worry as much. (10.38)
Poor Mom, little did she know that her threats would be a comfort to Peekay. But he just doesn't seem to be the slightest bit interested in religion, which is too bad for the Apostolic Faith Mission's head count.
Quote #8
It was natural for me to ask questions. Doc demanded them, had trained my mind to search for truth. To confront what lacked logic or offended common sense was as natural for me as climbing trees. (12.18)
If Doc was the one who trained Peekay's mind, do you think it really is natural for him to answer questions? Or is it that everyone is naturally curious, but they lose that natural inquisitiveness unless they find people who encourage them?
Quote #9
I privately thought this an almost perfect solution. The old man had spent his life as a sinner and then, at the last possible moment, was snatched from the jaws of hell by a pimply-faced girl whose heart was filled with love and compassion. (13.27)
Peekay's got his own plan for salvation down perfectly; now he just needs to find a pimply girl and he'll be set for heaven.
Quote #10
I had never met a Jewish person my age or someone who couldn't become a Christian even had he wanted to. (16.58)
What does this quote tell us about how deep the divisions are between religions in Peekay's society? It doesn't seem that Peekay has anything against Jews, but why do you think there aren't any at his school back home?