How we cite our quotes: Chapter.paragraph
Quote #7
"Calo! You hurry."
Two more English words. Rosario's near his limit. He understands what customers say. It's speaking he won't do. Town people make fun of broken English. (3.12-13)
It's bad enough when kids are jerks, but when adults do it, it's extra unsavory. Why do these adults need to pick on a kid? Do they feel that threatened by him? Is he an easy target?
Quote #8
"Perfectly ripe," she mimics me. "How come you talk so fancy?"
"I take lessons ma'am."
"From that white Northern teacher in the colored school? The uppity
one?""No ma'am."
She pulls back in shock. "Ya'll ain't in the white school, surely?"
"I don't go to school, ma'am." (3.34-39)
Poor Calo—all he wants is to fit in and be accepted, but even speaking English pretty well isn't enough. This lady, though she won't say it, seems offended that Calo speaks fancier English than she does. It's her own insecurities that make her so mean to him.
Quote #9
"People from different places in America talk differently. […] Your pronunciation is more and more Louisiana. But at least you still make good Iowa sentences, like me."
I don't want to make good Iowa sentences. I want to talk like my friends, and Cirone. (7.37-38)
One of the things Frank teaches Calo is English. But though Calo speaks English pretty well, he still stands out from his immediate community when he talks. He wants to speak English in a way that helps him blend in.