How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
So the summer went along and I lived my ordinary life, which was mostly chores all day long. Having a father who was a tavern-keeper was a lot better than being a farmer's son, like most boys. […] But still, it isn't as much fun as people like Jerry Sanford think. […] He doesn't realize that there's an awful lot of wood to cut to keep the fireplaces going for cooking and a lot of water to come up from the well and if there isn't anything else to do, there's scrubbing the floors and washing the windows and keeping everything clean generally. (3.6)
Sometimes, Tim's duties aren't all that much fun to perform—chores, anyone? Tim's obligation to help his family's business means he spends a lot of time cleaning and chopping wood. We're tired just thinking about it. But even though Tim complains about his duties, at least he does his part.
Quote #5
Then it came to me that even though rescuing Father was the daring thing to do, it wasn't the smartest thing. So I asked myself another question: what would Father do? And the answer that came pretty quickly was that he'd get the oxen and the wagon and the load of goods back home if he could so we'd have something to run the store and the tavern on through the winter. When I thought about it for a minute more I could see that it was the right answer. Maybe Father would get away; the cow-boys might even let him go after a while. One way or another he would be counting on me to get the wagon home—that was for certain (9.22)
Now that Mr. Meeker has been taken by cowboys, Tim has to rethink his duties. Now, his first responsibility has to be to his family, and that means getting the goods back home so the Meekers can survive the winter. With his Pops gone, Tim is going to have to make even more tough decisions about his responsibilities.
Quote #6
Usually I sat there over my porridge moaning to myself about the chores I had to do or having to go to school or something, and trying to think of some way to get out of whatever it was. Or when Mother turned her head I'd scoop up a fingerful of molasses from the jar and stir it into my milk. Or I'd eat breakfast slowly so I could stall off going to work.
But that morning after the terrible trip home, right from the first moment we got finished saying grace, I began planning the things I had to do—which things had to be done first and what was the best way to get them done. It was funny: it didn't even cross my mind to stall or try to get out of the work. (10.14-15)
With Mr. Meeker gone, Tim has new responsibilities around the house. Remember how much Tim hated doing chores when he was younger? Well look at him now. He's not only doing his chores without complaint, but he's also planning ahead. Looks like Tim is taking these new responsibilities to his family really seriously.