She said his life would be like walking upstream in a rushing river. The secret was to take small steps, and just keep moving forward. If he tried to take too big a step, the current would knock him off his feet and carry him back downstream.
After his time at Camp Green Lake, Armpit was in a halfway house with some other young men before returning to society. After the counselor at the halfway house tells the young men about the recidivism rates among African-American men, she gives them the advice to take small steps. This becomes a mantra for Armpit, and he references it throughout the book.
“You’re thinking East Austin, you got to think West Austin”
Armpit is furious with X-Ray when he finds out that X-Ray priced their Kaira DeLeon tickets above the most expensive tickets in the newspaper. This is X-Ray's response. Through this, X-Ray is telling Armpit that he needs to think abundantly, drawing a comparison between the wealth available in West Austin versus the poverty in East Austin. He further explains to Armpit how people in West Austin aren’t worried about money, so they think differently than those in East Austin. In this quote, X-Ray marks the divide in thinking by drawing upon the physical barrier of East versus West Austin which supports the theme of exclusion.
“I don’t feel comfortable on someone else’s territory“
When X-Ray is going to meet one of their first buyers, the address is in the predominantly white territory of West Austin. When explaining to Armpit why he wants him to accompany him, he explains his discomfort, furthering the theme of race and prejudice. This quote supports Armpit's initial comment on the racial, wealth, and environmental divide between West and East Texas.
Armpit didn’t tell any of that to his own parents. He felt like he was under attack. And so didn’t tell them anything except his name, rank, and serial number.
Since Armpit's return from Camp Green Lake, his parents' treatment towards him resembles the treatment he received in the juvenile correctional facility. They force him to take drug tests, even though he hasn't been convicted of any crime related to drugs, and think the worst of him. In this quote, Armpit explains that he doesn't try to explain or give details to his parents because they see him as an inmate. Consequently, he treats them as parole officers more than parents.
“We’re all going to meet Janis someday... But it won’t be in Texas.”
When Kaira, Ginny, and Armpit are speaking about music, Kaira speaks about her favorite musician Janis Joplin. When she's asked if Janis still lives in Texas and whether Kaira's met her, this is her response. This quote is Kaira indirectly saying that Janis Joplin is dead, and so we all will have a chance to meet her when we expire too.
Armpit held Ginny's hand as they walked across the stage, but it was hard to say who was helping whom this time.
In this moment, we see how Armpit and Ginny support each other. While Armpit's been helping Ginny walk throughout their time at the concert, when they're invited on stage with Kaira, Armpit leans on Ginny's courage. This quotation illustrates how the line between helper and helped is blurred because their relationship is mutually beneficial; they help each other take small steps.
“It’s like your voice cuts right to my heart.”
When Armpit finally speaks to Kaira again after their first meeting, they speak about how he’s missed her and has been trying to detach from these feelings to prevent hurt. Also, we the reader know that Kaira's songs have been encouraging and forewarning Armpit before they ever met. This quote illustrates how her music speaks to his heart.
"See, genius isn’t all about intelligence… It’s all about recognizing your opportunities.… Sometimes all you have to do is open the door and opportunity walks right in. It takes a genius to know when to open the door.”
In this quote, Jerome Paisley is complementing himself for finding out that Armpit has a criminal record. He and Aileen have been embezzling money from Kaira's trust fund, and he feels that he's more of a genius than a criminal. This also illustrates how he’s named himself El Genius because he's insecure about his actual intelligence.
“However, if, for example, somebody like Billy Boy killed Kaira before she turned eighteen, then her mother would inherit all her money. Jerome, her mother's husband, would continue to oversee all the financial matters.“
Kaira's suspicions are proven right to the reader. Aileen and Jerome a.k.a. El Genius have been embezzling millions of dollars from Kaira, and Jerome plans to kill her before she fires him. Not only is El Genius cheating on her mother, but he also made up Billy Boy in order to warrant hiring Fred and to have someone to pin her murder on. Further, referring to himself in the third person shows that he may feel like he embodies El Genius and that Jerome is a character he's playing, which supports the theme of reinvention.
“She’s not a golden goose!… I am the golden goose. She’d still be singing in her church choir if it weren’t for me. I made her who she is, and I can find someone else just as easily.“
Jerome is plotting what to do about Kaira before she turns 18. He believes that it is he who is the reason for Kaira's stardom and not Kaira. Through this scene, Sachar furthers the characterization of Jerome as someone delusional and supports the theme of ego. Jerome feels that he not only has the right to control Kaira, but that her talent doesn’t matter because he got her where she is so he deserves all of her wealth. Further, he believes that he has the right to take Kaira's life.
