How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
"I want, I want…" Ruth kept saying. Then Larry's breath caught and they whimpered and clung together, their bodies rocking as one. I lay there, shaking and staring and wondering how the poison Jack Speight had let go inside of me could be what Larry let go in Ruth – what Ruth wanted. (11.207)
Being raped by Jack leaves Dolores with a painful view of sexuality. She can't even understand that having sex isn't inherently cruel or dangerous, and that it can be loving and desirable for some couples.
Quote #5
"He goes to the closet and pulls out a suitcase. All that was in it was this pornographic joke magazine…" (11.227)
Ruth shares this story with Dolores, a story about sleeping with her faculty advisor and his taste in porn, to show her that, yes, some men are sick jerks, but she can get away from them and find something else. Larry is definitely an upgrade from this guy.
Quote #6
"Sometimes I think I may be going crazy… sexual thoughts right in the middle of Tuesday-night prayer service." (14.9)
Dante grapples with sexual thoughts even as a teenager. Eventually he ditches the religion and gives into his sexual urges, sleeping with Dolores the night he meets her, and cheating on her with one of his students.