How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
I first saw Amiel de la Cruz Guerrero on the corner of one of those Etch A Sketch streets, where Alvarado meets Stage Coach. I was fifteen and he was seventeen, although he told employers he was twenty. (3.1)
We know that age is just a number, but with Pearl it's a little more than that. To her, age helps identify where she is in life—and right now that's smack dab in the middle of the transition from being a teenager to becoming a full-fledged adult.
Quote #2
I didn't know Amiel's name yet, and I fumbled for a way to make a juggling mime sound employable. "This guy I saw at the corner of Stage Coach. You know, where they gather when they want work." (4.33)
As Pearl tries to convince her uncle to hire a guy she's never met and doesn't know anything about, we recognize she's in over her head. It just goes to show how little she knows about the way the world works. You can't go around asking your uncle to hire someone you saw on the side of the road without knowing anything about him.
Quote #3
"It's not his choice of self-expression that I'm worried about," Robby said. "You probably shouldn't flirt with him." (12.7)
Robby warns her to steer clear of Amiel—not because he's dangerous or anything, but Robby doesn't think it's appropriate for her to have a fling with one of the workers. Even though Robby is just two years older than her, he seems much wiser. We can tell Pearl has her head in the clouds, especially when it comes to Amiel.