How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
When Mom and Dad got divorced and Mom got me, Dad took Bandit. (14.2)
This is a pretty blunt statement, but it gets to the heart of the situation. Divorce is a very physical process. Someone goes this way, and others go that way. There are new living arrangements to make, and everyone has to figure out how everyday life will now look.
Quote #5
Mom used to get mad at Dad for whooping it up, but she didn't mean throwing up. (15.5)
In this sentence, Cleary mixes in some humor with the sadness. Mom means that he spent too much time partying at a truck stop outside of their town instead of spending time with his family.
Quote #6
So I ask Mom if she thought he might come to see us for Christmas.
She said, "We're divorced. Remember?"
I remember all right. I remember all the time. (22.1-3)
Now that Leigh's family isn't together, both he and Mom have to figure out how their new life will look. This is a big transition—bigger than moving, going to a new school, or having to make new friends. This is something that's constantly in the back of Leigh's mind.