The Westing Game Appearances Quotes

How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #10

Angela could not be the bomber, not that sweet, pretty thing. Thing? Is that how she regarded that young woman, as a thing? […] Had anyone asked about her ideas, her hopes, her plans? If I had been treated like that I'd have used dynamite, not fireworks; no, I would have just walked out and kept right on going. But Angela was different. (21.63)

We think this is one of the most interesting passages in the whole book. Here, the judge is talking about how she's misjudged Angela. And for the judge, who prides herself on her fairness, to admit this is a pretty big deal. The judge catches herself thinking of Angela the same way Sydelle does, and the same way other characters do: "as a thing." In doing so, the judge realizes that Angela's been utterly limited by what's on her outside, and no one's looked past it to see what kind of person she is on the inside.