Quote 1
"This will be my pink cup," said Benny. (5.36)
Benny is just 5 years old, so he's not quite old enough to eschew "girl stuff" like pink cups. Does the author think girly things are childish? Or, does she think that boys don't learn to dislike pink until they're old enough to worry about how other people perceive them? Over to you, Shmoopers.
Quote 2
"Oh, Jessie!" cried Benny. "This is the best meal I ever ate. I found the eggs, and you cooked them." (8.53)
Though Benny is just 5 years old, he's already internalized that boys are providers and girls are cooks. As modern-day readers, we can't help but cringe a little.
Quote 3
"What are we going to do now, Jessie?" Benny asked his sister.
"Well, Benny," answered Jessie, "we'll go exploring and look for treasures." (5.12-5.13)
The Alden children don't seem to believe in naps or gentle walks or simply taking it easy. They always have an agenda that involves some form of hard labor.