How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
"It is weird," Mom said. She put her hands on her hips. "But if you think about it, one thing really can't have anything to do with the other. Someone with the key wouldn't have to ask where the key is. It makes no sense."
She was right, of course. It was backward. But somewhere in my head a tiny bell started ringing. I didn't even notice it at first. (17.5-6)
Why do the events happen backward – that is, the key is gone, and then the note asks for it? What does Miranda realize here about how time is working?
Quote #8
Christmas Day: Tesser well. This one had something to do with my book. To tesser meant to travel, through space or time or both. It was how Meg got to Camazotz, the planet where her father was held prisoner. But it had nothing to do with Christmas, as far as I knew. (30.15)
The anonymous notes give Miranda clues about things that haven't yet happened. Or have they? What hint does the phrase "tesser well" give us?
Quote #9
"Let's say we're here." She put her fingernail on one diamond chip. "And we figure out a way to jump all the way back to here." She pointed to another one, a few chips away. "It wouldn't matter where we came from. If we're on that chip, we're at that moment. It doesn't matter whether we came from the chip behind it, or ten chips ahead of it. If we're there, we're there. Get it?" (31.36)
Julia attempts to explain the concept of time to Miranda using her diamond-chipped ring. In Julia's understanding, time is circular, and every moment is its own complete snapshot. Why is it significant that Julia uses a diamond ring to illustrate her concept?