How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
Besides, their old buddy, Jarrett, no longer exists. He is extinct. (16.7)
It's difficult for Conrad to accept that he is different not just because he is depressed, but also because he's realizing who he really is. When he quits swimming, he grows away from his friends, because no long being on the team makes him different from them.
Quote #8
"You're very good-looking. But I'm sure you already know that." (16.24)
An unnamed woman appears in the library parking lot and says this to Conrad. Call her his fairy godmothers: she bestows him with a little bit of much-needed confidence.
Quote #9
I'm not myself," he says. "Okay, Howard, who am I then?" (19.25)
We're over halfway through the book, and Calvin—the father, not the son—still hasn't worked out his own identity. Finding your identity is a lifelong process, one that isn't set in stone when you're a teenager, as much as Conrad—the son—might like it to be.