How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
Years of war and curfews didn't alter that; he still anxiously awaited his father's return. Respecting this, Jan would go straight to Ryś's room, remove his backpack, and sit for a few minutes to talk about the day, often producing a little treasure tucked in a pocket. (22.2)
Jan tries to maintain a healthy relationship with his son, even in the middle of a war. This guy deserves all the Father's Day cards.
Quote #8
Sharing a room, the hamster and Maurycy seemed to find amusement in each other, and Antonina noted how quickly the two became companions. (23.29)
It isn't only the Żabińskis who treat animals as family. Maurycy bunks with a hamster, which quickly becomes like a brother to him. Maybe these human-animal relationship are all the stronger because of how scary and uncertain everything is during wartime; it makes you look at things differently and appreciate what you have, even if that is just a hamster.
Quote #9
"And, in this small way, our own private family Underground ceased to exist." (26.25)
Sadly, the war changes the Żabiński family dynamic. Antonina and Jan grow distant, and so do Ryś and his father after Ryś pulls a prank and Jan punishes him. However, odds are Ryś would have needed to be punished as he got older, anyway, war or not. So Antonina is maybe being a little dramatic here.