How we cite our quotes: Chapter.Paragraph
Quote #4
The worst thing about her speech is that her voice is so high-pitched and squeaky that rust-colored spirals rain down behind her. (3.53)
Describing her teacher, Mrs. Morris, Mia is sure to note how annoying her voice is to someone with synesthesia. Before long, we're thinking about stuff in a whole new light from Mia's descriptions.
Quote #5
"I used to think everyone saw these colors; then in third grade I figured out it was just me." (4.27)
When she's describing her abilities to her parents, Mia is sure to recall what happened back in third grade. That was a traumatic time for her, and it also helped her realize that she sees a version of reality that other people aren't aware of. It's not to say she's wrong; just different.
Quote #6
People's colors seem to be unique to them. The geometric shapes are much more similar. Not that they appear at the same sounds, but the general shapes that synesthetes see don't differ too much. For people who have colored alphabets, there are wide color variations, although many people seem to associate light colors with vowels. (7.3)
Jerry explains to Mia and her family that synesthetes don't always sees the same color, which explains why Mia and Billy think her name is different. It also highlights that numbers and letters aren't automatically correlated with particular colors. It's all about perception.