How we cite our quotes: (Paragraph)
Quote #7
Something hot seemed to turn over inside him each time he had remembered how they had laughed. (206)
Trust us: The life a teenage boy is defined by embarrassment—in fact, it is embarrassment that drives Dave to buy the gun in the first place. The reactions of the crowd here remind Dave of how far he still has to go.
Quote #8
Ef Ah had just one mo bullet Ah'd taka shot at tha house […] Jusa enough t let im know Dave Saunders is a man. (210)
Well, at least Dave has a target this time. Hawkins is the most powerful person that Dave has ever encountered: a rich white man with a big white house. What better way to become a man than to take on the man?
Quote #9
He had his hand on his gun; something quivered in his stomach. Then the train thundered past, the gray and brown box cars rumbling and clinking. (212)
This is a big opportunity, even if Dave doesn't realize it yet. Like many coming-of-age heroes (Luke Skywalker, anyone?), Dave must leave his home to become a man. Although you could interpret this the other way—as evidence of his immaturity—we'd argue that Dave has a ceiling on his growth if he stays in his hometown.