Find quotes from this novel, with commentary from Shmoop. Pick a theme below to begin.
Education Quotes
"Ignatius graduated smart.""Graduated smart," Ignatius repeated with some pique. "Please define your terms. Exactly what do you mean by 'graduated smart'?" (1.272-273)
Family Quotes
Miss Lee said, "I never liked mothers. Not even my own.""My mother was a whore," the man with the racing form said, not looking up from his paper."Mothers are full of s***," Miss Lee observed and t...
Inertia Quotes
"[…] death, destruction, anarchy, progress, ambition, and self-improvement were to be Piers' new fate. And a vicious fate it was to be: now he was faced with the perversion of having to GO TO WOR...
Justice and Judgment Quotes
"Is it the part of the police department to harass me when this city is a flagrant vice capital of the civilized world?" Ignatius bellowed over the crowd in front of the store. "This city is famous...
Lies and Deceit Quotes
"They got any cute girls working there?"Ignatius thought of Miss Trixie and said, "Yes, there is one.""Single?""She appears to be."Mrs. Reilly winked at Ignatius and threw her overcoat on top of th...
Race Quotes
"I thought maybe the Night of Joy like to help somebody become a member of the community, help keep a poor color boy outta jail. I keep the picket off, give the Night of Joy a good civil right rati...
Sex Quotes
Still the bouncing had some physiological effect. Ignatius touched the small erection that was pointing downward into the sheet, held it, and lay still trying to decide what to do…. he thought so...
Wealth Quotes
"I made up my mind. You gonna go out and get you a job." Oh, what low joke was Fortuna playing on him now? Arrest, accident, job. Where would this dreadful cycle ever end? (2.194)