How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
I felt I wasn't growing as a boxer. [. . .] If I were to become the welterweight champion of the world, I knew I'd soon have to find a coach who thought beyond schoolboy boxing. (18.7)
A big part of growing up for Peekay is realizing that it's time for him to move on to the next step in his progress. It's a conscious act, not a passive one.
Quote #8
Even though the odds had grown well beyond simple foolishness, I convinced myself that my brains (ha, ha) were the difference, that I knew how to survive a grizzly because I could read it better and was less likely to make emotional decisions under pressure. Which was, of course, a load of codswallop. (24.6)
This moment is important because it is one of the only moments where Peekay really is all alone, acting independently—and he makes the wrong choice without the help of his friends.