How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Jenna's seen me but she's pretending she hasn't. When you're pre-majoring in perfection, having a brother who's a social paramecium is a real drawback. While our tense family situation has forced me further into my shell, it's made Jenna into a shining example of teen perfection. Perfect hair, perfect grades, perfect social standing. Through her endless pursuit of the perfect, she's trying to erase us all—the dad who lives through his work, the mom who lives through her children, the scattered way our family communicates through notes left on the fridge and cell phones and no real face time. (3.4)
What a bleak picture Cameron paints of his family, eh? It also raises questions about nature versus nurture: If twins are raised in the same family, why would one pursue perfection at all costs and the other retreat into sullen solitude? Or maybe the home life isn't as bad as Cam thinks it is, and throwing a smile his family's way every once in a while could drastically improve the situation.
Quote #2
My dad doesn't seem like my dad. He doesn't sound angry or annoyed like the dad at home who does the yard work, pays the bills, rotates the tires, and looks like he hates every minute of it. He's actually smiling, which is just weird. (4.44)
We don't think Cam's being fair to his dad here. Who does like paying the bills? Or doing yard work? Or trying to have a conversation with a surly teen who's decided life is a giant pile of poop? Conversely, it is possible that his father is having an affair with his TA, and he is truly unhappy at home.
Quote #3
That's my dad. Never yell when you can simmer. Never scream when you can cut somebody with a look. Never go ahead and have that fight when you can feel righteous about walking away and giving them your back. I've seen a lot of my dad's back. (4.67)
Passive aggressive methods of conflict resolution are the absolute worst. No wonder Cam feels so bitter about everything.