How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #10
I feel less concerned about attention. You can hardly hand your drawings out, asking for feedback, and not expect—not want—attention in one form or another. […] They are easier to be around, now that avoiding them isn't a top priority. Learning to look at people—to imagine who they are, what they own, and why—has given me an ability to endure the possibility that I am being looked at. (17.27)
Ah-ha. Now that she's finally stopped avoiding attention at all costs, Ellen realizes that it's not that bad. This is a major step forward for Ellen because it shows how much self-esteem she's gained in her year out from under Link's shadow.
Quote #11
What I want to remember is all the afternoons we spent in hospital cafeterias and airport lounges. How we had full but silent conversations. On lonely days, I'll want to remember that even if no one knows anyone, James made me feel known. And if it happened once, it could happen again. Just like having sex, this time more slowly and deliberately, as if we are memorizing what it was like the first time. (20.53)
Ellen has finally realized that it's not ideal to always be alone in a state of perpetual self-isolation. What James has shown her is that revealing yourself to someone else and having them love you can feel really good. More importantly, though, by revealing herself to James, Ellen has gotten to know herself better, too.