How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
For reasons I can't explain to you because at the time it just seemed like our fate, my father didn't have to keep paying the mortgage on our four-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bath Spanish ranch. We were what my mother called "upside down" on the house, which means you owe the bank more than it's worth. (6.21)
When her dad leaves and saddles them with an upside-down house, Pearl and her mom are left no other option but to move in with Hoyt. Right away, we see that Pearl's dad's loyalty was to no one other than himself, and we also see how destructive this is for his family and everyone around him.
Quote #2
"Are you going to tell your mom?" Robby shrugged. "It's hard to picture myself doing that. Would you be the one to do that to her?" (8.25)
Robby says this about not telling his mom about the affair—he cares more about being loyal to her than breaking her heart. Even though his dad isn't really cheating (and it wouldn't be Robby's fault if he was), Robby puts pressure on himself to be loyal to his family above everything else.
Quote #3
"Hickey's his last name, dummy," Greenie said with what I guess was an affectionate tone. Her loyalty was with Hickey now. I could feel it. (13.24)
Oh snap. It doesn't take long for Greenie to shift allegiance from Pearl to Hickey. That's pretty typical when people get new girlfriends or boyfriends, but Pearl doesn't want it to be. Yet when she starts hanging around Amiel, she ditches Greenie pretty darn fast, too, so she isn't immune to shifts in loyalty herself.