How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
I spelled out for Rat the right way to say it but he said he liked Wicked better. I've called it Wicked ever since because it's easier for me to say it that way. I get upset when other people use the wrong words since it's so easy for most everybody to make any sound they want. I guess I should be mad at myself for substituting Wicked for Wicker but you can always count on me to take the easy way out when it comes to getting words out of my mouth. (3.3)
One way Victor deals with his stutter is by coming up with different (a.k.a. easier to say) names for things. That's why he calls his best friend Rat instead of Art, and says "Wicked" furniture instead of wicker furniture.
Quote #5
I had never heard anyone say Shan't but I knew it was short for Shall Not. I loved contractions as much as I hated commas because when two words were rolled into one it meant there was one less words to stutter on. (3.81)
Victor has all sorts of shortcuts that he uses in order to make his stuttering problem not-so-apparent. He has to think a lot about words and their different meanings, as well as how he can combine words so that he doesn't have to say as much.
Quote #6
When Howdy Doody was talking to Buffalo Bob I would forget what they were saying and start pretending that I was a puppet and wishing that somebody would pull the strings to make my mouth move so I didn't stutter. (4.48)
Thinking about how he sounds when he talks is a huge preoccupation for Victor. He can't even watch a cartoon without being sad that he's not one of the puppets relying on someone else to say the words while he just opens and closes his mouth.