How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #10
Estha always thought of Pectin as the youngest of three brothers with hammers, Pectin, Hectin and Abednego. He imagined them building a wooden ship in failing light and a drizzle. Like Noah's sons. He could see them clearly in his mind. Racing against time. The sound of their hammering echoing dully under the brooding, storm-coming sky.
And nearby in the jungle, in the eerie, storm-coming light, animals queued up in pairs:
Girlboy.
Girlboy.
Girlboy.
Girlboy.
Twins were not allowed. (10.44-50)
We catch a glimpse of how Estha's mind works in this quote. He seems to feel like his identity as a twin sets him apart from others, that it's reason enough for others to exclude him. We also get a sense here of how the Love Laws work between Estha and Rahel. The two of them are a pair, but not one that society will allow to be together. In a way, this moment foreshadows the incest they will commit as adults.