How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
What would I have said to him, my only child? Forgive me, your mother didn't love me the way I wanted to be loved; perhaps I didn't love her the way she needed, either? (10.20)
Is Leo just being generous? Or could he really have done something differently to bring about some other ending with his beloved?
Quote #5
And then I thought: Perhaps that is what it means to be a father—to teach your child to live without you. If so, no one was a greater father than I. (10.22)
There is no way that Leo really believes this. What kind of father do you think he would have been, had he been given the chance?
Quote #6
"You shouldn't have to always be polite with your family." "Why not?" "It would be better if people just said what they meant." (11.3)
This relatively benign interaction betrays just how different Alma's and her mother's ideas are about their relationship: Alma wants normalcy and lightheartedness; her mother wants intimacy and profundity. Don't forget, Ma—Alma is still just a girl.