The House of the Scorpion Slavery Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #1

"Someone isn't going to get a smiley face on his paper," Teacher said with a gasp, leaning against the wall. She started to whimper like a frightened animal. (7.69)

Matt's youthful rage in this scene is downright scary, and the Teacher's response is so pathetic that we (and Matt) can't feel anything but awful.

Quote #2

"An eejit is a person or animal with an implant in its head," said Tam Lin. (8.65)

All it takes to make someone El Patrón's helpless slave is an implant. That's science run amok. We don't know about you, but this is not the kind of future Shmoop is hoping for.

Quote #3

"Rosa?" Matt said.
She looked at him. "Do you wish another horse, Master?" The voice was the same, but the old anger was gone. (15.7-8)

What's really interesting and shocking here is not that Rosa is an eejit, but what being an eejit has done to her. Anger, the emotion that defined her character to us and Matt, is gone. In fact, she has no emotions whatsoever.