How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
We packed and cried, and packed and cried, until the crying gave way to laughter and joking. When we were done in the basement, he [Shaka's father] assured me that he would always be there for me no matter what. To this day, he has never let me down. (3.29)
Shaka has a stable anchor in his father. Is this one of the reasons Shaka is later so committed to parenting his own son?
Quote #2
Those words shredded my heart. How could a mother give up her child? What was wrong with me that made her not want to keep me? In that moment, I began erecting an emotional wall to protect me from my parents and any other intruder. I was done listening to them, done spending time with them, and done with letting them touch or talk to me. I was tired of being hurt and confused by two people I loved more than anything in the world.(3.41–42)
Shaka's story really shows how important good family relationships are in his life. As he finds himself less and less able to connect with his parents as a teenager, he gets further and further into emotional trouble and physical danger.
Quote #3
I had never thought about the fact that by getting locked up, I was also imprisoning everyone who loved or cared about me.(4.55)
Shaka's whole family is affected by his imprisonment—it's one of the things that eventually reminds him to take responsibility for his whole community and not just his own life.