How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
"Scrub like you're a gal from a one-cow town near Pratville, Alabama," she'd tell me while Vonetta and Fern ran around and played. "Can't have you dreaming out of your head and writing on the walls. That'll only read to ruin." (15.1)
Notice how Vonetta and Fern get to play while Delphine does all the chores? We get that she's the older sister, but we think it's a lot of responsibility for one young kid. It's no wonder she doesn't know how to have fun and relax—she's expected to pull more weight and act more mature than her siblings all the time.
Quote #8
I'd never made a mess in my life. Not even for the fun of it. (16.30)
Well isn't Delphine just a parent's dream? Hey, we get that it's annoying to clean up after spills and messes, but that's just part of being a kid. Delphine needs to take a chill pill. It's as though she's allergic to anything that kids do. Maybe she's trying so hard to prove she's responsible that she's forgotten what it's like to be a kid.
Quote #9
I screamed. So loud I startled myself. I had never heard myself scream. Screamed from the top of my lungs, from the pit of my heart. Screamed like I was snaking and falling. Screamed and hiccupped and laughed like my sisters. Like I was having the time of my life, flying down that glorious hill. (29.43)
Yippee. Delphine finally lets her hair down and acts her age. And you know what? It's fun to be eleven. You get to fly down a hill on a go-kart and scream until your throat is sore. Delphine gets to let lose for once and we couldn't be happier for her.