How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
Mama's religion says We are in the world but not of the world. Maybe that's true. It's a religion of lots of rules that I don't believe in, but once in a while it makes sense. This place isn't my world. My soul isn't here. (12.8)
Here we get an interesting application of Mama's spiritual ideas to Toswiah's physical life. Toswiah isn't fully on board, but she does see some sense here.
Quote #5
"What plan?!" my father shouts. Anna and I jump, but Mama stands there as if this loud voice came out of Daddy every single day. "What damn plan does your god have?! Tell me, because I want to be a part of it!"
Mama presses her Bible closer to her chest and doesn't say anything. She doesn't look angry. Just a little bit… a little bit broken.
"Don't take this away from me," she says. "Not this, too." (14.27-29)
Here we see that Mama really does blame Daddy for taking her whole life away, and now he's challenging the most important part of her new identity. This whole witness protection thing seems hard.
Quote #6
On Thanksgiving, Mama made lasagna and thanked her Jehovah for giving us another day. We ate the lasagna quietly, listening to Mama preach about how worldly holidays were wrong. I don't know how celebrating the fact that Pilgrims and Native Americans stopped fighting long enough to sit down and eat a meal together is a sin in God's eyes, Anna had said. I had never been a big turkey fan, but I missed Thanksgiving, missed all the people who stopped by to eat dinner or dessert with us and wish us a happy holiday. I missed us putting up lights two days after Thanksgiving and me and Anna fighting over how we'd hang them. (16.2)
Mama accuses Daddy of taking everything away from her, but then she takes away something that's important to her daughters. What do you think of Mama's actions? Is she being self-centered or does she genuinely believe they are all better off without celebrating holidays?