How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
They were steaming hot and you put butter inside them and it melted and then you put jam on them or apricot preserves with nuts in the syrup. That was all you wanted for supper although you had to eat other things of course. (2.3)
Sounds familiar, right? This is just one example of how Trumbo creates a sense of nostalgia, using the pronoun "you" as if inviting the reader to remember his or her own memory of doing something similar to this. It's also another way Trumbo tries to make Joe seem familiar to us.
Quote #2
Each Saturday night he tried to beat last Saturday night's time so the sandwiches would be even warmer. (2.6)
Ah, ritual. People love it for a reason, especially when it involves hamburgers. This memory creates a sense of "the way things were," the implication being that what was once a happy tradition is now irrevocably lost.
Quote #3
He remembered that the shows were always good. (2.14)
This is, like, Nostalgia 101. He doesn't even remember what the shows were, just that they were always good. Ah yes, the good old days, when shows were always good. This takes on another meaning, though, when we realize that Joe will never see a show again. Just able to experience a show at all starts to seem like a fantastically good thing.