Marcelo in the Real World Justice and Judgment Quotes
How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"Right. So the girl was hurt by a windshield and her parents are probably suing Vidromek. That's how the picture ended up in Wendell's boxes. You know all about suing and settling a case and all that?" (17.40)
Often lawsuits are settled out of court, which means the defendant indirectly admits fault and gives the plaintiff money to go away. It's not a great deal for either side, but it can provide immediate results for the plaintiff and save the defendant money in the long run. And if all you're after is a new face, well then it's not so bad.
Quote #2
"It was like a fire. Here. And here." I touch the top of my stomach, where my rib cage ends and then the middle of my chest. "It was like I wanted to fight the people who hurt her. But then I realized that might include my father." (17.61)
Is it right that Arturo should go down in Marcelo's flames as revenge for his heartlessness toward Ixtel, or do you agree with Arturo that he's just doing his job? Someone's gotta be a defense attorney, right?
Quote #3
"I am afraid that if I talk to Arturo, he will not let me help the girl or maybe the girl will get more hurt." (17.76)
What are the ways in which Ixtel might get more hurt? Do you think someone from the law firm is capable of hurting her directly, or will they just continue to do it indirectly by defending Vidromek?
Quote #4
"Every time you decide, there is loss, no matter how you decide. It's always a question of what you cannot afford to lose." (17.102)
What can Marcelo not afford to lose? After all, he's willing to give up Paterson to help Ixtel.
Quote #5
Now that I started looking for the file, the need to find out about the girl has increased. It is as if the act of looking has confirmed the rightness of my quest. (18.40)
It's like Jasmine says: the right note will feel right and the wrong note will feel wrong. Knowing you're doing the right thing is its own kind of Internal Music.
Quote #6
Juliet said he thought too much. He questioned Stephen Holmes about what was correct. I wonder if that included what was right or wrong. (18.40)
Although Steely doesn't admit to having seen the picture of Ixtel, he did know about the 36th box. His confronting Holmes about right and wrong might have been what caused the box to disappear.
Quote #7
Robert Steely […] is the most familiar with all the Vidromek files. He is sitting now in front of me and I see this now as a sign. Will he help me? Will he help Ixtel? The question is, do I have the skill to improvise? (20.33)
Keith Jarrett may not be Glenn Gould, but he's definitely taught Marcelo that there's something more important than following the rules.
Quote #8
Deep inside of me I hope to find a way to persuade him that helping Ixtel is something he should do, we should all do. But right now I don't even know how real that hope is. (20.65)
As Arturo's lies compound, Marcelo loses more and more faith in his dad's ability to do the right thing. No amount of tree houses and horses can make up for that kind of loss.
Quote #9
"What is in here is bad, as far as Vidromek is concerned. If it's made public, Vidromek will have a very difficult time proving they were not at fault. Then there's what this may do to the firm." (21.32)
Was it a form of lying for the firm to make the 36th box disappear, or were they just playing by the rules of defending a corporate client?