How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"I could sell a trap to a mouse," Archie likes to say, and it's the truth. Housewives can't resist him. I know Mama couldn't. (1.9)
Something tells us a mouse wouldn't be so thrilled with his purchase… It's telling that this is the example that Archie uses, because he's always disappointing people. He knows he's selling traps, yet he doesn't care if he leaves people disappointed.
Quote #2
Mama's always falling in love, and the fellas she picks are like dandelions. One day they're there, bright as sunshine—charming Mama, buying me presents—and the next they're gone, scattered to the wind, leaving weeds everywhere and Mama crying. (1.21)
Ouch. This is one destructive cycle that Mama puts herself through. Notice how she's always disappointing herself, and in turn, Turtle. So each time she falls for a new guy, she sets herself up for disappointment, and brings her daughter along for the ride, too.
Quote #3
Truth is, the place looks like a broken chair that's been left out in the sun to rot. The houses are small and narrow, lined up close together, and most of them haven't been painted in a long time. There's trash piled everywhere. (2.6)
When Turtle gets to Key West, she's bummed out—it doesn't look anything like the paradise her mom explained to her. It's far from it. We can't help but wonder, though, if Mama sets everyone up for disappointment by imagining things to be better than they actually are.