How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
"What I wanted to ask about," Roy said, "is you and your mom. What's the deal?"
"I dunno. We just never connected," the boy said matter-of-factly. "I quit sweatin' it a long time ago."
Roy found that hard to believe.
"What about your real dad?"
"Never knew him." The boy shrugged. "Never even saw a picture." (14.167-171)
Mullet Fingers clearly doesn't have a stable home life. But the saddest part of all of this is that he's so nonchalant about it when talking with Roy. This shows the drastic difference between Mullet Fingers and Roy's family.
Quote #8
When Roy's parents came in to say good night, he told them he'd never forget their trip to the Everglades, which was the truth. His mom and his dad were still his best friends, and they could be fun to hang out with. Roy knew it wasn't easy on them, either, packing up and moving all the time. The Eberhardts were a team, and they stuck together. (16.78)
This is clearly the best parent/child relationship in the entire book. When Roy is claiming that his parents are his best friends, you know they have a good relationship. Not only is this an extreme contrast to Mullet Fingers, but it is certainly a radical improvement from the relationship between Dana Matherson and his parents.
Quote #9
Roy had always thought that Beatrice Leep wasn't afraid of anything, but she didn't look so fearless now. He felt bad for her—it was hard to imagine living in a house where grownups behaved so idiotically. (16.127)
Roy is seeing a new side of Beatrice the Bear. And this is the same girl he was scared of at the beginning. Seeing her in a vulnerable state, Roy realizes how lucky he is to have parents like his own.