How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
She had tried for months to get Dad to buy her a long beige coat with buttons big as fifty-cent pieces that she'd seen at Penney's. Dad mostly refused, raising his hand as if to visor his eyes against the sun. Sometimes he'd promise to buy her one at the end of the month, knowing that the bills would always manage to wedge in between her and the coat. One day she came home saying that she'd gone to the store and the coat wasn't there. The saleslady said they'd run out of stock. It didn't matter, Mom said. She'd gotten used to wearing her old linty coat and double sweaters. You could tell by the watery way her voice sounded, though, that she hated that coat. (8.12)
Manny's family has to give up some special things because of their financial situation, and for Mom, this means giving up on her dream coat, which she's seriously bummed out about it. She's been dreaming about that coat for forever, and it's a big deal when she finds out that she'll never own it. It's almost like the coat is a sign for Mom that she can own something awesome and new and when that possibility is taken away, well there's just no replacing it.
Quote #8
Looking around like there was no place for her to hide her eyes, Mom shrieked, "We don't have any money!" (8.55)
Magda has been in the hospital, no one is telling Dad that she prematurely delivered a baby, and now she has a raging fever—but when Manny wants his mom to take Magda back to the doctor, she knows that might not be possible because they just don't have the dough. It's not easy for Mom to admit that they're in a tough spot financially or that it could affect her kids, and she's looking pretty panicky to us.
Dealing with poverty might've meant giving up things like coats before, but now it's having a ridiculously huge impact on her family's health. Ugh.
Quote #9
She began slapping the mop wildly on the floor, shuffling around in my dad's old hightop boots, the ones with the buckles torn out and tongues wagging. Most of the time she mopped the floor barefoot, since her feet had enough calluses to step on my dad's cigarette butts without making her wince, but that day it was too cold. (9.4)
Mom's resourceful as all get-out, so when it's chilly outside and she needs to mop the floors, she has a pair of old boots that she can dig up. No need to buy separate mopping slippers for this lady, because she's got the creativity to re-use what's already around her home. And this helps Mom keep her family moving forward, even when they're facing rough times financially.