How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
He measured everything he would let me eat, he was feeding it on me, he wanted a replica of himself; after it was born I was no more use. I couldn't prove it though, he was clever: he kept saying he loved me. (4.6)
The narrator seems puzzled by the concept of love and may even doubt that her ex-husband actually loved her—at least, she suggests there was something strategic or crafty about his use of the word.
Quote #2
I'm trying to decide whether or not I love him. It shouldn't matter, but there's always a moment when curiosity becomes more important to them than peace and they need to ask; though he hasn't yet. (5.4)
Perhaps the narrator has trouble believing that people could love her because she can't relate to the emotion—she certainly can't seem to figure out if she loves Joe.
Quote #3
He said he loved me, the magic word, it was supposed to make everything light up, I'll never trust that word again. (5.33)
Although we don't really have all the details yet, the narrator indicates that her ex-husband used "love" as some kind of magic charm to get whatever he wanted. At first it just seems like potential ego problems on her part, but maybe there's something to her claim that he uses the L-word for his own crafty purposes? Stay tuned…