In the novel there is a quote that interested me and it was said by the main character, Brent Runyon. The quote was " I didn't realize I was such a monster. I don't know why, but I didn't."(75), this quote was said when Brent was in the hospital, and his aunt and cousin came to visit. Brent's cousin, Amara is only about four, and when she walked into he room with her mother, she was afraid and a bit shy. She did not come out from behind her mother's legs and did not even speak to her cousin, who many times tried to reach out to her and say "Hello", and her mother made the excuse for her as though she is a very shy little girl, whom Brent did not remember to be. After they left, Brent said this quote to himself, ad though he felt that he was a monster and that people were afraid of him and he did not know it. This quote is important because it is the moment where Brent realizes that his life isn't the same anymore, and people aren't going to treat him the same either. Being in the hospital and around only the staff and his parents has caused Brent to be secluded from the rest of the world, his friends, his other family members, and just people in general. Being away from others except parents and staff has caused Brent to not have the truth right in front of him, being burned and in the condition that he is, people may not always treat you well, and he has not experienced that because of his seclusion. Therefore, being around someone other than people who are going to tell you the positive, Brent was around someone who was bluntly honest with her actions, even though she was only a four year old, making him realize that he is different now and it will take time to heal and for people to get use to his condition. The quote added a new twist that I had not seen yet, it added a more negative side to being in that condition, I got to see his emotions and feelings of seeing someone new and how they reacted to his condition, and I got to experience some sadness from Brent that I had not seen other than his thoughts of suicide. Based on the quote I can foreshadow more people acting like the young girl did, being afraid, not reacting like they should have, and being bluntly honest with just their actions. I also can predict, Brent not reacting too well to the reactions of others and how they treat him, if any do treat him differently because of the condition he is in.
Pick a Quote