How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Chapter)
Quote #7
[Lorraine:] It was easy to feel sorry for her [Lorraine's mother], to see how awful her life was—even to understand a little why she picked on me so. It hadn't always been like that though. But she did pick on me now! (8)
Again, Lorraine shows how she tries to understand her mother. Though she mentions a time when her mother hadn't always picked on her, we never hear anything about this time. We may wonder: How old was Lorraine? Why and how did her mother change?
Quote #8
[Mr. Pignati:] "She loved me," he said. He looked so tired.
"We loved each other. We didn't need anyone else. She did everything for me. We were each other's life," he managed to say and then broke into sobs. He tried to cover his eyes and turn his head so we wouldn't have to see him like that.
I couldn't help thinking about my mother and father—that maybe as simple as Mr. Pignati was, he knew something about love and having fun that other people didn't. I guess Conchetta had known the secret too. (10)
Lorraine thinks that knowing how to have fun is an important part of a healthy relationship. We wonder: did Lorraine's parents ever know how to have fun? And we know that Lorraine and John certainly know how to have fun; we may wonder if they will become romantically involved.
Quote #9
[Lorraine:] That's how the three of us were. If one of us did something that was funny, the other two had to come up with something too. Three copycats. It wasn't exactly that we had to show off so much as that we wanted to entertain each other. We wanted to show equally how much we were thankful for each other's company. (10)
Lorraine, John, and Mr. Pignati have formed something resembling a family.