How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
The recovery room turned silent; everyone stared. Bruno groaned and turned toward the wall. That night I put him to bed. Bruno, I said. So sorry, he said. So selfish. I sighed and turned to go. Stay with me! he cried. (1.12)
Ambivalence between loneliness and companionship can be seen all throughout the novel. This is an especially interesting example: Bruno tries to commit suicide, and Leo saves him. Bruno apologizes for having been willing to leave his friend alone in the world. Then when Leo goes to leave him alone in the hospital, Bruno can't bear the solitude.
Quote #2
THE WALL OF DICTIONARIES BETWEEN MY MOTHER AND THE WORLD GETS TALLER EVERY YEAR (2.24)
The way that literature affects human relationships is a recurring theme. But here literature is a literal wall separating Alma's mother from the people around her. The more she immerses herself in that world, the more she's cut off.
Quote #3
The next table over there was a girl with blue hair leaning over a notebook and chewing on a ballpoint pen, and at the table next to her was a little boy in a soccer uniform sitting with his mother [...]. A wave of happiness came over me. It felt giddy to be part of it all. To be drinking a cup of coffee like a normal person. (4.5)
It's worth noting that Leo has very little in common with the people surrounding him—the blue hair, the young child. And because Leo so rarely has any contact whatsoever with other people, the simple act of drinking a cup of coffee together here is a profound experience for him. He feels united with other folks and experiences the joy of being alive.