How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
I'd grown to like Prabaker. I'd learned to admire his unshakeable optimism. I'd come to depend on the comforting warmth his great smile provided. And I'd enjoyed his company, day and night, through the months in the city and the village. But in that minute, on my second night in the slum, as I watched him laughing with Jeetendra, Johnny Cigar, and his other friends, I began to love him. (1.8.135)
What is a friend, really? Not to go all philosophical on you, but here are some good responses: someone you admire, someone you depend on for comfort, and someone who hangs out with you, keeping you company. But, admit it, at the bottom of all true friendship is love, too.
Quote #8
"You are making a friendship with our Abdullah, Mr. Lin?" Khaderbhai said as we climbed back into the car. "This is a good thing. You should be close friends. You look like brothers." (2.9.150)
Abdullah and Lin are a couple of tough guys who hit it off, and Khaderbhai, the grand engineer of all of Lin's relationships, decides that they should be close friends. His comment that they look like brothers seems like a joke. They look nothing alike, but perhaps he's referring to that brotherhood (or sisterhood) that we find in close friendships.
Quote #9
"You know that fighting is no way to settle your differences. And you both know that fighting between friends and neighbours is the worst fighting of all." (2.11.12)
If your parents and teachers haven't drilled it into your head, maybe the slum director will convince you that fighting is no good. In the slum, everyone must maintain their friendships with their neighbors because it's such a fragile system that could easily be torn apart by infighting.