How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
I was not told any details (I was never told any details), so it was only my father shaking his head, the dinner table quiet, Uncle Mumpreh talking urgently and quietly to my grandmother. (2.5)
Everyone keeps quiet about the details of what's happening around Vahan—and though they're just trying to protect him, to Vahan, it's like he's an outsider. We can't help but notice that his family perpetuates his innocence by lying to him about what's really going on.
Quote #2
I did not understand. Government officials came to the house, but always in suits and usually to ask my father's advice. But these were policemen. Had my father broken the law, or did the government simply want to consult with him? (3.2)
These are the only two options in his mind. It doesn't even occur to Vahan that something sinister could be happening, because he's so trusting and naive when it comes to what's taking place politically at the time.
Quote #3
I left her room feeling better, even though I knew that everything she had told me about my father was a lie. (3.14)
Hmmm… we know that Vahan's mom is lying to him about his dad, and he knows it too. So why does he feel better when hearing the lie? It's as if he wants to believe in the lie, rather than the truth. It's easier to think his dad is off somewhere with the police, than face the truth that he's been murdered.