How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
"I barely know what it means to be homosexual myself, and she's racing ahead of me, reading all the literature, consulting experts, wanting to 'explore my feelings.' I don't want to explore lesbianism with my mother, at least not now." (4.10)
It's great that Marisol's mom is supportive and loving about her daughter's homosexuality, but she's almost too supportive about it. Reading up on lesbianism, joining a club about it… enough already. Marisol wants to do this stuff by herself and without her mom explaining away her feelings. In short, she needs room to explore.
Quote #5
How long would it take my parents to notice if I escaped? It's possible they never would. Mom would be happy I'm staying in my room, periodically calling up the stairs to tell me she'd left a few bananas in the kitchen for me, some cheese. (4.20)
John, on the other hand, has too much freedom from his parents. Neither of them pays much attention to what he does, so it's no surprise when he admits to us that he thinks he could escape without them noticing. Yet with all his freedom, he doesn't explore much, but instead keeps running back to them. Maybe he's not ready for the world yet after all.
Quote #6
I was almost glad I had an excuse to hang up. Marisol was getting on a wrong track here. Sure, she wrote some serious pieces, but I did humor, not this soul-searching stuff. (5.63)
Right. We hate to be the ones to break it to him, but John writes some deep and meaningful stuff—he just doesn't want to admit it. John uses his writing as a way to explore his feelings, whether he realizes it or not.