How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Paragraph)
Quote #7
It went over biggest with Charles himself. It struck him as unbearably funny. In fact, Esmé had to come around and pound him on the back, as if treating him for a coughing spell. "Now, stop that," she said. She went back to her own seat. "He tells the same riddle to everyone he meets and has a fit every single time. Usually he drools when he laughs. Now, just stop, please." (68)
Charles embodies the sheer joy of being a child – no matter how many times he tells the wall riddle, he loves it every time. The two siblings are like a classic comedy act – Charles is the goof, and Esmé is the straight man. The funniest thing is, they don't even know it.
Quote #8
"I'd be extremely flattered if you'd write a story exclusively for me sometime. I'm an avid reader."
I told her I certainly would, if I could. I said that I wasn't terribly prolific.
"It doesn't have to be terribly prolific! Just so that it isn't childish and silly." She reflected. "I prefer stories about squalor."
"About what?" I said, leaning forward.
"Squalor. I'm extremely interested in squalor." (76-79)
This passage is perhaps the best example of Esmé's charming, contradictory nature. Though she's really concerned with being a grownup (she doesn't want a childish story), she's still a child at heart, and her over-seriousness and incomplete understanding here reveal her youth more than anything.