How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
She was determined to beat Ralon—it would mean she had finally earned her place among the boys. It would mean that she could do anything larger and stronger males could. (3.148)
Alanna's coming-of-age journey is all mixed up with her gender identity. She feels inferior to her friends because she's a girl masquerading as a boy. But if she can stand up for herself and fight Ralon, she feels like she'll have proven that she deserves a place with her friends. (Spoiler alert: she does.)
Quote #5
The squires joined Alanna and Jonathan in what little free time they had, but Alanna missed them during the classes she had with the other pages. (4.5)
It's always a bummer when you're growing up and some of your buddies are in a different age bracket than you, and you're stuck in middle school while they head off to high school. This is basically what happens to Alanna and Jonathan when Gary, Raoul, and Alex make the transition from page to squire before their younger friends do. It's a part of growing up, but that doesn't make it fun.
Quote #6
Alanna watched her friend, thinking…His voice was beginning to boom and crack, too, just as Gary's and Raoul's had last year. Soon Alanna would have to start faking the voice change herself. We're all growing up, she thought, and sighed. (5.110)
In case you forgot for, like, a second, here's another reminder that Alanna's body is going develop differently than the bodies of her page and squire buddies who are all male. Will she fool anyone by faking the voice changes and cracks most young guys experience during puberty?