How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
Colin sighed. He knew he couldn't tell stories, that he always included extraneous details and tangents that interested only him. "Anyway, the end of that story is that I came relatively close to having a lion bite off my penis. And my point was that s*** like that never happens to popular people. Ever." (7.84)
Say what? Colin can't tell a story to save his life. If you think about it, even kids can tell stories to their friends… but Colin never had any friends, and he doesn't know how to behave with people. Bit by bit, Lindsey helps him learn how to tell stories, and what to say to people.
Quote #8
Colin liked the movie pretty well; he laughed a lot, anyway, and he found comfort in a world where all the characters who had been smart children grew up to be really fascinating, unique adults (even if they were all s crewed up). (8.87)
It's no coincidence that Colin feels comforted by The Royal Tenenbaums— he likes the fact that weirdos in childhood can turn out fine in adulthood. He's just not sure if he's going to join that club yet, or stay a child prodigy for the rest of his life.
Quote #9
He knew that his mom wanted him to have an adventure. She'd always wished he could be a normal kid. Colin suspected she'd be secretly pleased if he came home one night at three in the morning reeking of booze, because that would be normal. Normal kids come home late; normal kids drink warm forties of malt liquor in alleys with their friends (normal kids have more than one friend). His father wanted Colin to transcend all that stuff, but maybe even he was starting to see the unlikelihood of Colin ever becoming extraordinary. (9.87)
That's a lot of pressure for Colin. How is a kid supposed to choose which path to follow?