How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
I went to bed early that night but lay awake a long time, trying to remember all the things Danny and I had done together since the Sunday afternoon his ball had struck me in the eye. (13.108)
Memory is a gift here. Reuven can use his memory to stave off loneliness and be close to Danny in some way. He also isn’t sure whether he and Danny will ever be able to hang out again, and his memories of Danny become even more precious.
Quote #8
"My wife has been chosen for me. […] It’s an old Hasidic custom, remember?" (17.15)
While arranged marriages might be perfect for some, it isn’t for Danny. Again, we see him trapped by the past, by tradition and custom.
Quote #9
"Danny […] when you have a son of your own, you will raise him in silence?"
"Yes," he said, "if I can’t find another way." (18.53-54)
This is a stunning moment in the text. Danny admits that, sometimes, all we have to go on is what the people before us have done. Sometimes, if the choice is hard enough, we’ll use something we have seen work in the past, instead of risking a new approach.