Explain the meaning, the importance, of the quote.
What message does the quote give?
What does it reveal about our main character?
Keep in mind that this is being graded, so your response should be in complete sentences and include appropriate grammar & punctuation. Show that you actually put some thought into your response!
a. “Everything became desperate; all decisions profound, all emotions fierce” (19).
-Everything? What does John mean by that?
-Look up the meaning of ‘profound.’ What decisions might he be referring to?
-In the context of chapter 4, what emotions might John be referring to?
b. “My life slipped and shifted each time someone I knew climbed aboard a crowded Greyhound and headed for boot camp” (24).
-What was changing in John’s life at this time?
-Why the word slipped? Why not just ‘changed’?
-How might this have affected the way he pursued Ginny?
c. “I wasn’t at all sure of any future, so I wanted a life as quickly as possible, before it was my turn to board the last bus out” (24).
-What does John say about his far-from-now future?
-What does he mean, or what’s he referring to, when he says, “I wanted a life”?
-What does John see in his immediate future?
d. “I didn’t feel the luxury of time and subtle courtship; I had to start things now” (24).
-Why was there no luxury of time for John?
-Look up the meaning of ‘subtle.’ Why might John think subtle courtship didn’t apply at this time in his life?
-Why the emphasis on the word now?
