Family Quotes in The Forest of Hands and Teeth

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #7

I have to turn my head away from the way Jed rocks Cass, my eyes stinging, longing for those days. When all I worried about were monsters in dreams. When my brother was always there to comfort me. (20.56)

What kinds of monsters did Mary dream about? Seriously—she's a kid trapped in a village surrounded by moaning flesh-eaters. What could possibly be scarier than that?

Quote #8

And while they have plenty of space if they want to spread out, it appears as though they prefer to stick together. All living under the same roof.

A happy family. Like the family in the photographs. (24.23-24)

Humans are social creatures, that's for sure. There're always a few who'd prefer to live out their lives alone, but those are few and far between. Sheesh—even Thoreau invited his friends up to his cabin and took jaunts into town from time to time. With other people comes safety, security, and of course, love.

Quote #9

"I only care about Jacob and making sure he has a full life. That he can grow up and find his way in this world. Jacob is like a son to me now and all I have ever wanted was a family." (30.36)

Family. For Cass that word means more than kooky relatives at a summer barbecue; she's a sucker for love, but she's a die-hard for safety too. She's even willing to head back to the village after the breach to find any survivors and seek out the safety and security she always knew there. For her, family means security and commitment, and that's why she clings so hard to Jacob—she wants to provide those things for him.