“Going on a Sunday drive was the only normal thing wed did that other families seemed to do.” Page 52
Just before this quote it states that they dressed up and went to church with donation envelopes in hand. This is not that different from my experiences as a child. That connection alone tells me that their mother must have been a very hard working person; to get all of the kids ready for church. And their father had at least some morals scrap together money for a donation. All of this still happens despite their relative poverty. I was immediately taken aback by similarity of Rosemary's Sundays and the Sundays I knew as a child.
“Mother excused herself from the front door and then returned with a knife.” Page 59
I found this occurrence rather interesting because up until this point in the book she is portrayed as a mediator or a witness. Now she is threatening some one. The fact that a politician would go door to door making threats to families under welfare disgusts me. If faced with the same situation I would have pulled a knife too. But the fact that political threats still occur in America lingers on in my mind. The voting freedom especially of the lower classes is something that should never be threatened.
“The door man was a graceful older black man.” Page 199
I quickly wondered does this women only hire black people? If so, is she attempting to apologize to the black race or does she believe blacks should work for whites? Reading on none of those questions were really answered. However I was left under the impression that she felt bad for blacks or minorities in general.
“Being Mary's daughter meant being welcome anywhere my mother had preceded me.” Page 199
These words stuck out on the Page for some reason. Its surprised me that rosemary's mother was so highly revered. Its seemed that when “Papa” was around that she was just a bystander that did not like people or leave a memorable impression besides that of which she had in the neighborhood.
“I came from a world of women, a world separated by two decades from this block. I realized the rules had changed: it was men and drugs who had changed them”
These words have a touch of feminism but are true nonetheless. The world of women is generally and perhaps stereotypically cleaner (in all aspects). Women aren't selling drugs or hustling on the corners. Most of poverty is the work of men. Whether that be true or not I think the main idea of this book is the perseverance of families and especially children living in poverty or with abusive guardians.
