How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
He says, "No, Ed, as a matter of fact, I don't. I only know that this is your next message and you still don't seem to be thinking clearly about what you're supposed to be doing."
His voice is so casual, but so heavy with something else. Truth, I think. That's what the voice weighs in with. He's right. I really don't know what I'm doing. I'm still guessing as I stand here hoping that the answers will simply come. (4.4.101-102)
Leave it to a couple of clowns (Daryl and Keith) to help Ed figure out what he's really doing. It's interesting that Ed comes to this conclusion after he's received the final ace. It's as if he's just been flying by the seat of his pants up until now, which makes us wonder how much truth he's really delivering.
Quote #8
It's impeccable how brutal the truth can be at times. You can only admire it. Usually, we walk around constantly believing ourselves. "I'm okay," we say. "I'm all right." But sometimes the truth arrives on you, and you can't get it off. That's when you realize that sometimes it isn't even an answer— it's a question. Even now, I wonder how much of my life is convinced. (4.5.97)
When he tells Ritchie to get real and do something with his life, it's a little shocking, but it also needs to be said. That's the funny thing about truth: it comes when you least expect it, and sometimes it hurts to hear it. Ed gets hurt when his mom tells him her truth, but Ed does the exact same thing to Ritchie.
Quote #9
Quietly, he stands up and looks back at the couch. There's a faded yellow folder sitting on a cushion. "It's all in there," he says. "Everything. Everything I wrote for you. Every idea I scratched around with. Every person you helped, hurt, or ran into." (5.the folder.14)
What the mystery man tells Ed is that he's written down the truth about what took place… so why can't he just come out and tell us? Ed's been searching for answers the entire time, and in some ways, never really gets them.