How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
"Does it make you look any better? [...] Is this straight mess more attractive than your own hair? Did those chemicals give you better-looking hair than me and your daddy and God gave you?" (7.27)
Man, Momma is mad about that conk. But we're still wondering why she's so mad. This quote might give us a clue. The family traits that she and Dad have passed on to the kids seem very important to her. Perhaps she's hurt by the fact that Byron dislikes his own Watson family hair enough to ruin it with chemicals. Perhaps this conk of Byron's feels sort of like a rejection to the family—or to their racial background. Can you sympathize with how Momma feels, or do you think she's overreacting?
Quote #8
I knew Dad was kind of disappointed by the way Momma had acted. She really hurt his feelings by walking off like that. Some of the time I think she forgot how sensitive Dad was. Even though he acted cheery with us I knew it wasn't the same for him now. I knew if Momma had stayed and hadn't gone off mumbling about money we would have been having a lot more fun. (8.102)
Dad definitely hearts his family, that's for sure. He's not happy unless the whole family is having fun with him. This is also one of the few times in the novel that we see Momma and Dad have a disagreement. What other examples can you find where Momma and Dad argue or disagree? What do these moments reveal about their relationship?
Quote #9
Dad came up on the porch and got a ton of hugs and tears too, then Grandma Sands pulled everybody together. Her little arms could only get around one person at a time but as the Weird Watsons stood there with some of us laughing, some of us crying and some of us looking cool it felt like we all were wrapped up in a big ball. (11.89)
Can you imagine not seeing your grandma for 10 years? For a family that thinks family is so important, that's a long time to go without visiting. Why don't they visit more often? Do you think this affects Momma and Dad's relationship at all? How do you think the Watsons would be different if they visited this side of the family all the time?