How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
Mr. Spiro started back into his house.
Thank you for your excellent service and good conversation, my young Candide. We have a date next Friday when we will continue to cultivate our garden. (5.110-111)
Being around Mr. Spiro isn't just a way to kill time; it's also how Victor grows his knowledge and critical thinking skills. They really are "cultivating" a garden of the mind.
Quote #8
Mr. Spiro had something in mind besides just a money tip when he started giving me the pieces of a dollar with the words. I couldn't figure out what the two words had to do with each other but Rat would be home in two weeks and I would have all four pieces of the puzzle by then. I thought about us working on the puzzle together and how much fun that would be.(6.66)
Getting the corners of the dollar bill from Mr. Spiro one week at a time is fun because Victor can slowly put together the puzzle. He knows that Mr. Spiro wants him to think long and hard about the words on the dollar bill and to come to his own conclusions about what it all means.
Quote #9
I had worked on a list of questions for Mr. Spiro all week in my room. I didn't want to forget anything important so I had typed the three questions on a clean piece of notebook paper.
- Why do most grown-ups treat me like I'm not a real human being?
- When does a kid become a grown-up?
- What can I do to be smart like you? (8.41-42)
Victor isn't kidding around when he says that he wants to learn a lot from Mr. Spiro. He starts coming to the old man's house with a list of questions he wants answered—and they're some pretty meaty questions, too.