How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
"You know the only thing I'm good at?"
"What?"
"M-60 machine gun. You know anybody out in the World need a good machine gunner?" (8.27-29)
It's not like Scotty really wants to shoot machine guns all his life. He just doesn't know what he'll do next. The skills you learn in wartime won't necessarily translate to a good job back at home. Still, probably good that machine gunners aren't in high demand in every corner store back home.
Quote #5
My mind shot ahead. What would I do when I got out? I had read some stuff in Stars and Stripes about Congress expanding the GI Bill. The paper said it didn't look too hopeful. (8.30)
Perry is still worried about having enough money to go to college. At that time, the GI Bill gave veterans a monthly stipend—but would it be enough to cover tuition?
Quote #6
The counselor, a short, red-haired woman, with blue eyes that bulged slightly from a thin face, had asked me what I wanted to do in life. "I'd like to be a philosopher," I had said. She had started laughing and apologizing at the same time. It was simply not the kind of thing, she explained, that she had expected. I was hurt. I didn't even know what a philosopher did for sure, but her laughing messed me up. After that I never told anyone I wanted to be a philosopher again, or even a writer. I started telling people in school that I wanted to work on a newspaper. Around the block I told people that I either wanted to play ball or teach. (9.96-99)
Sounds like this guidance counselor needed a guidance counselor to tell her not to work with high school kids. It's clear that Perry's self-esteem really took a hit here. But why did his guidance counselor laugh? Could it have to do with the color of Perry's skin? Maybe—Myers does go out of his way to describe her physically, showing that she's white. Or maybe she just got philosophers confused with stand-up comedians.