Flora and Ulysses Language and Communication Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #4

She changed into her pajamas, lay down, and imagined the words A SUPERHERO SQUIRREL RESTED AT HER FEET, AND SO SHE WAS NOT LONELY AT ALL emblazoned on the ceiling above her. (12.3)

We wish our lives could be comic books, too. Flora is always imagining what her life would look like if it was a comic book and here's what we get. Notice how it's the words she thinks about, not the images that are usually highlighted in classic superhero comics.

Quote #5

All words at all times, true or false, whispered or shouted, are clues to the workings of the human heart. Listen. You must, if you care to understand anything at all, become a Giant Ear. (22.25)

This comes to us from The Criminal Element, another one of Flora's pleasure reads. We love the idea of becoming an ear, instead of merely saying eavesdropping. This is just one example of how the author puts together words in a different way to get the wheels in our head spinning.

Quote #6

But Flora's voice stood out. It was the voice of the person he loved. He concentrated on her words. He worked to understand her. (30.23)

In the diner, Ulysses focuses on what Flora says. Her words are really powerful for the little guy—they bring him back to life and encourage him to act instead of sitting on the sidelines.