How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
Dicey wished she didn’t understand. She wished she could still be like Sammy, concerned only about whether or not he’d have as much steak as he wanted, already forgetting the worry since everything was all right again. (3.231)
Here we get a hint about why Dicey's so reluctant to grow up. She likes to keep things simple, to be without worries, and to pig out on steak. The good news is, when you're an adult, you can still totally pig out on steak. You just have to buy it with your own dough.
Quote #5
"I’ll tell you what I think," Dicey said, to help Gram. "You can decide if you think there’s stuff I should know more about […] I think that even though I know how it works, sex—I don’t know how it feels." (4.275)
This is such a huge thing for Dicey to admit to Gram, and it’s a moment when we see her doing some hardcore reaching out. Sure, we're betting there's some major blushing going on in this conversation, but hey, at least they're having it. What's family if not gritting your teeth through an awkward conversation every now and then?
Quote #6
Dicey looked out over the tall marsh grasses, blowing in the wind. If the wind blew, the grasses had to bend with it. She wondered how they felt about that. "It’s just," she said to her grandmother, "I have the feeling that I know who I am, only I’m not anymore." (4.281)
Dicey’s being blown around too—by school, by family, by her hormones—and she has to bend whether she likes it or not. See, Dicey has a pretty good idea of what she once was—big sister, caretaker, getter of things done. But now that Gram's there to accomplish those tasks, she's having trouble figuring out where she fits. She'll have to define a new role for herself, and that's easier said than done.