How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Time came, though, he began thinking what it would be like to have real Holstein cows in a barn with a cement floor like Massey's. It started him thinking about how poor they were. He noticed the way his mother had to work to keep things going, even as thin as their way of living was. (2.8)
Tom is inspired to better his family's life by observing his mom's hard work to keep the family afloat. He also observes that his neighbors, the Masseys, don't have to struggle as much, so he sets his mind to improving his family's way of life. He's only 8 when he starts dreaming and planning.
Quote #2
[Bert Breen's barn] looked to him as sound as it must have been the day it was built, and he began thinking how it would be if he could buy it and move it down to their own place by the river below Fisk Bridge. He knew, though, there wasn't any sense in thinking of it. He didn't have any money at all. None of his family had any. Just the same he knew exactly where he would set it up if he did have it. But that was crazy too. How was a kid going to move those timbers down seven miles of road? Let alone taking them apart and putting them up again if it came to that? (5.9-10)
When Tom first sees the Breen Barn, he's only 13 and the idea of converting his dream into reality seems as likely as reality TV swearing off the drama. There's money involved and also hard manual labor—pretty serious roadblocks. It seems now would be a good time for someone to drop the wise words of Theodore Roosevelt "Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty." Fun fact: Teddy would have been starting his presidency (from 1901-1909) around the time the novel was set.
Quote #3
"Looks like your life is about to change. Looks like you're going to quit your schooling and make some money. Not a great lot of it," she added, to Tom's disappointment. She dealt out some more cards. "But there's quite a lot of money here later on. You ain't going to go around like a low-down Dolan any more." (6.24)
Mrs. Breen sees a better life in the cards for Tom. The weird thing is Tom's already considered how school might not be the best use of his time, and he's even talked with Birdy about plans for improving his family's property. In fact, the whole reason he meets Widow Breen is because he goes up to her land with Birdy to look at the barn. Still, he's really swayed by what Mrs. Breen has to say. Why does he seem to need this push from fate to believe in his dreams?