How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"Sometimes people who seem good end up being not as good as you might have hoped, you know? What if she had stolen our things?" "She wouldn't." "But what if?" "But she wouldn't." […] she was obviously mad at me, but I didn't know why.
[…] I could tell that she really didn't love me. (1.6-7)
Oskar misinterprets his mother's anger as lack of love. His father's death has left him very sensitized to any signs of detachment on his Mom's part.
Quote #2
She was wearing the bracelet that I made for her, and that made me feel like one hundred dollars. I love making jewelry for her, because it makes her happy, and making her happy is another one of my raisons d'être. (1.9)
You know the phrase "Love is a verb?" Well, despite Oskar's reservations about Mom, he's always doing loving things for her, like making jewelry or protecting her from the phone messages from Dad in his last moments.