How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
Dad thought I should cut school altogether and get a dishwashing job. Start on the bottom and work your way up, that's what he'd say. Only most of the people he knew started at the bottom and worked their way sideways. (3.3)
For a guy who doesn't currently have a job, Dad sure has a strong opinion about work. He figures that if you get a job lowdown on the pole, then you can persist until you're in a better position, no education needed.
Quote #5
Cleaning a yard to my dad meant even the grass edges had to be trimmed and plants polished. He reminded us that he'd check on our work, making sure we dug out to his satisfaction the tufts of grass near Grandma's roses and pinched out whatever mealy bugs and aphids were chewing on stems. We could tell it was going to be one of those hot days when asphalt softens and ants foam up from the dirt with the scratch of a stick and when dogs bark, the sound is dry, like hollow wood. But it was still morning, and the first hour was a smile and thoughts of lunch; nothing but a few shrubs to chop and leaves to rake. (5.20)
Based on the list Manny gives us here, his Dad expects this yard to win gardening contests. But since it's so hot that "asphalt softens," reaching this level of perfection seems nearly impossible. On the other hand, though, Manny seems pretty chill about the whole thing—he's not super worried about persisting to the end and is more focused on the reward of lunch. And this has us wondering: What gives Manny such an upbeat attitude?
Quote #6
When we stopped, finally, the sun was prickling like a hot rash on the back of my neck, and a piece of lava was wedged in my spine. My brother's face was swollen and burnished as a new penny. A channel of sweat slipped down the bridge of his nose and plopped on the dirt near his feet. His eyes, drowsy with sun, watched it like someone who didn't deserve sweat. (5.24)
So Manny might've had an optimistic attitude toward cleaning up at Grandma's house, but reality is setting in, and as it turns out, being persistent in tidying up the garden is taking a huge physical toll on Manny and Nardo. This is backbreaking work.