How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
What had mortified me, what I had to flee, was that she sounded not only unfeeling and narcissistic but just like me. (7.15)
Eva experiences some strong cognitive dissonance after bumping into a former friend who had a baby. She has to confront the ugly parts of herself. But does she do anything with this new knowledge? Is Eva still unfeeling and narcissistic at the end of the novel?
Quote #5
Like most disguises, the cover-up was worse than honest flaw, a lesson I had yet to register on my own account. (12.52)
Here, Eva flouts her "fake it 'til you make it" philosophy. She believes that it's more important to put forward an authentic face than a fake one, at least regarding makeup. But what if you don't know who you are? Then what are you supposed to do?
Quote #6
"And he's found himself, as they said in my day. Now he doesn't have to worry about whether he's a freak or a geek, a grind or a job or a nerd. He doesn't have to worry if he's gay. He's a murderer. It's marvelously unambiguous. And best of all," I took a breath, "he got away from me." (15.33)
Continuing our last thought about identity confusion, Kevin's mass murder allows him to easily identify himself. "Hi, I'm Kevin Khatchadourian, and I'm a mass murderer." It may not be pretty, but it's easy. And sometimes people take the easy route.