How we cite our quotes: ("Abbreviated chapter name," page)
Quote #7
"Everything makes sense when they dance. Felicia feels as though she were in love again, at the center of the universe, privy to its secrets and inner workings. She has no doubts." ("Fire," 78)
Again, this is a triumph of non-verbal communication, which in Felicia's case, is probably the truest and best way for her to reach out to her family members. Her poetic and fragmented language frightens her children and leads to despair for Felicia, who cannot reach out to the world outside her shuttered house.
Quote #8
"Lourdes is herself only with her father. Even after his death, they understand each other perfectly, as they always have...He is proud of his daughter, of her tough stance on law and order, identical to his own." ("Attitude," 131-32)
Lourdes can never understand her mother's rejection of her in infancy, and she never does forgive her for it. But it hardly matters, because she finds a sympathetic soul in her father. Even after his death, Lourdes feels and hears his approval as she moves on with her life and looks for other places in her society to belong.
Quote #9
"Lou [Reed] has about twenty-five personalities. I like him because he sings about people no one else sings about—drug addicts, transvestites, the down-and-out. Lou jokes about his alter egos discussing problems at night. I feel like a new me sprouts and dies every day." ("Attitude," 135)
This may be the best articulation of teenage personality that we've ever heard. It may be the best and truest description of human experience altogether. Pilar identifies so closely with punk culture because she feels like she is "a mess," unable to cobble together a consistent identity to present to the world. She still has to learn that consistency isn't always the greatest good, at least in this sphere.