How we cite our quotes: Chapter.paragraph
Quote #4
Carlo stiffens. "We run a legitimate business. Everybody knows. Words don't change the facts."
"Words like that give them the excuse they want…" (2.23-24)
People say that words can't really hurt you, but when people tell themselves false stories about you and yours, it empowers them to treat you badly… and that, as this book shows, has the potential to do a whole lot of damage.
Quote #5
"What's the point of you getting all that tutoring?" Carlo shakes his head in disgust. "A fourteen-year-old who can't come up with a lie in an emergency is a sorry sight."
I touch my lips. "I've got a whole pack of lies." (2.56-57)
For Calo and his family, the ability to come up with a lie quickly just might be essential for survival. Most fourteen-year-olds are given grief for lying, but here Carlo is encouraging Calo to hone his skills, if only in certain specific contexts.
Quote #6
"Calo, come," Rosario calls in English. "In front of customers, we're supposed to smile and repeat English after them and not worry about anything except counting cents." (3.9)
If the white townspeople can't understand what the Sicilians are saying to one another, they might feel threatened or in danger or insulted. So even though that's completely not the case, Calo and his family are still better off speaking English in these people's presence.