How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
This time it was Stinky, twisting a stick in his hand, acting like he'd just thought up something terrific. He was in my grade at school, but about three years older than everybody else. He had ratty shoulders and two large can-opener teeth. His black hair was swatted smooth with pomade, and his voice sounded like knife blades rubbing together.
I'd always been afraid of him. Every year at school he made it a habit of punching me around to show he was still boss. Once he broke a bone in my little finger, and I lied to Mom about it, saying that I got it sliding into second base. Another time he separated the soft rubber on the bridge of my nose, and I had to tell her I got hit by a pop fly.
Stinky was either hitching up his pants of trying to pull a knife out of his back pocket, I couldn't tell. (2.30-32)
Stinky Garcia is scary. Like seriously scary. And what makes him such a menace is his violent streak. Here, Manny characterizes each part of Stinky as if it reveals just how violent he is—check out those "can-opener teeth," or the way his hair is "swatted" and his voice is "like knife blades." Yup, Stinky Garcia oozes danger.
Quote #2
Dad pulled out his rifle from the shelf of his closet, and after checking the loader began searching for bullets, waking up Pedi, who groaned and rubbed her eyes. […] He scattered Mom's animal collection, slapping her little glass and ceramic cows, pigs, donkeys, even rhinos and an elephant off the shelves. With one swoosh of his arm, he trashed to the floor my green plastic tyrannosaurus. (4.27)
Get ready for some major violence ahead because Dad is on a rampage looking for bullets. And why is he looking for bullets? Oh, just to shoot Mom. Wait, what? Oh yes, Dad thinks that the best way to deal with his frustrations is to whip out his rifle and find some bullets. When it comes to violence, Manny's dad is taking it to a whole new level—and if he's ready to attack Mom with the same gusto as he's knocking over those little animal statues, we're in for a super violent affair.
Quote #3
From the corner of his eye, he caught the dark clump of Mom running, and ran after her. When she disappeared behind a tree, he froze, shifting his knees, the barrel of the rifle alert and ready. For an instant I caught a glimpse of her tiptoeing away from a tree. Dad saw her too and banged on the bolt arm. She started with a jolt and began running again, ducking and dodging from tree to tree as Dad, frustrated with the loader because it wouldn't eat the bullet, and not wanting her to escape, pretended to lock a bullet in the chamber and level aim. He even lifted the barrel and made a shooting noise with his lips. Kapow. Kapow. Mom flinched her shoulders every time he did it, too. (4.43)
So here's the deal: Dad is actually trying to shoot his wife. That's pretty much the worst thing ever on it's own, but even when the bullets won't load, the make-believe violence is really scary, too—it has Mom acting like he may as well be shooting actual bullets at her.