How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
Every time I try to think up a story, it turns out to be like something someone else has written, usually you. I want to do what you said in your tips and write like me, not like somebody else. (32.1)
In the world of writing, this is called "voice," and Leigh is struggling to find his. He's smart enough to know when his work sounds like someone else's, so the next step is to figure out who he is, both in real life and as a writer. When we're forming an identity as we grow up, a big part of that is emulating people we admire, trying on different identities for size until we put it all together and find one that fits.
Quote #5
If Dad loves all those things so much, why can't he love me? And maybe if I hadn't been born, Mom might still be riding with Dad. Maybe I'm to blame for everything. (34.4)
Leigh is wrestling with some tough stuff right now. What is it about him that makes him unlovable to Dad? Did he get in the way of his mom's dreams? He eventually understands that his dad is like he is regardless of Leigh, and that Mom was ready for a change. But at this point, he's struggling to understand his place in life and in his family.
Quote #6
"Well, kid—" he began.
"My name is Leigh!" I almost yelled. "I'm not just some kid you met on the street." (38.16-17)
Leigh's dad calling him "kid" has always upset him. It's like it's been bottled up inside and the top has popped off and Leigh finally expresses it. He wants his dad to see him for who he is—Leigh, his son, a boy he knows and loves.