How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
Anyway the whole night was really stupid. Sam wouldn't even let me watch the movie in peace. Besides it turned out to be such a dirty film that Beth and I stayed in the ladies' room for a long time after it was over. We were both too self-conscious to come out, but since we couldn't spend the night in there, we finally made our grand entrance… (38.1)
Sometimes it's easy to forget how young Alice is, but then we read an entry like this. Instead of being titillated by a dirty movie, she's embarrassed and disgusted. This is especially interesting in comparison with the Alice from the end of the diary, who writes "Another day, another blow job" (165.1).
Quote #5
Now that I think back I should have known what was happening! Any dum-dum should have known, but I thought the whole party was so strange and exciting that I guess I just wasn't listening or maybe I didn't want to listen—I'd have been scared to death if I'd known. So I'm glad they did it to me, because now I can feel free and honest and virtuous about not having made the decision myself. (45.14)
This "innocent" introduction is crucial to writing anti-drug propaganda. Not only does it make Alice sympathetic, it also suggests that her downfall could happen to anyone. Dun dun dun… don't drink the punch at the party.
Quote #6
Ted and Richie are in college, and they have to work a lot harder than we do in high school so they don't have the time to sell. And besides it's a lot easier for guys to get busted than for girls. At first it was pretty hard to keep my cool around the Establishment, but since I'm now Richie's chick all the way I have to do what I can to help him. (76.3)
This smacks of a master manipulator, doesn't it? It's like Alice is just regurgitating what Richie tells her, obeying him like a good little girlfriend. Richie has found himself a sucker, and if Alice were a bit less innocent, she might've had some warning about her situation.