How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
It wasn't being much of a day but I'd had worse. I figured if I took care of all my other friendships, and just did what I needed to do, I could get it down to aching about Paul maybe once every other breath. (16.87)
So, Karl's battle with Paul in the hallway was pretty bad. But what's worse than punching someone in the gut and calling him an offensive slur related to his sexuality is that the victim has been his best friend since they were born. While the shame of what he did and said is getting to him, the ache really comes from putting his oldest friendship in jeopardy.
Quote #5
And being the Tonto I always was, here I was again: Tonto to Paul, who was artistic and beautiful; Tonto to Cheryl, who was off to save the beautiful artist; Tonto to my crazy mom; probably Tonto to old Browning—I was the eternal sidekick. (17.65)
For your generation, The Lone Ranger looks a lot like this, Johnny Depp included. But to Karl and the Madmen, it would have looked more like this. Not quite as, um, colorful but still classic. Either way, Karl would probably rather be the Lone Ranger, aka the hero, but instead he's stuck being the sidekick.
Quote #6
"Remember when Dennis died?" […]
"Yeah," she said. "You and me drove all over hell with Paul while he cried, and then after he fell asleep, you and me sat up all night on the hood of this car, watching waves on Lake Erie. You mean, like, we share that and we can trust each other?" (18.62-63)
This conversation between Karl and Cheryl shows that for the Madmen, friendship is mostly based on trust. Think about it—would you feel comfortable telling your friends about the darkest, most vulnerable part of your life? Unless you have a friend you put a lot of faith in, our guess is probably not. Yet the Madmen are thrust into a group that requires them to share these things with each other, and they form a bond that's centered around knowing each other's dirt.