How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
"Oh come on!" Chacko said. "You can't dictate what she does with her own spit!"
"Mind your own business," Ammu snapped.
"It brings back Memories," Estha, in his wisdom, explained to Chacko. (2.380-382)
Again, we see how many of our characters try to escape from memory instead of embracing it. When Rahel blows spit bubbles, it reminds Ammu of her ex-husband Baba's unrefined behavior. The capital M in "Memories" shows us just how serious of a matter this is to Estha.
Quote #5
Silence hung in the air like secret loss.
The terrible ghosts of impossible-to-forget toys clustered on the blades of the ceiling fan. A catapult. A Qantas koala (from Miss Mitten) with loosened button eyes. An inflatable goose (that had been burst with a policeman's cigarette). Two ballpoint pens with silent streetscapes and red London buses that floated up and down in them. (3.34)
Here, we find ourselves in Estha's room in 1993, a room once filled with toys. These toys all hold a secret significance for Estha and Rahel, and they're impossible for them to forget. We get the hint that they belong to a scene in the past that was scary for the twins when we find out that a policeman destroyed one of their toys on purpose.
Quote #6
The Torch Man opened the heavy Princess Circle door into the fan-whirring, peanut-crunching darkness. It smelled of breathing people and hairoil. And old carpets. A magical, Sound of Music smell that Rahel remembered and treasured. Smells, like music, hold memories. She breathed deep, and bottled it up for posterity. (4.40)
Memories are triggered left and right in this book. Almost any object, sensation, smell, or sight is capable of bringing memories to the surface. What's interesting about this moment is that Rahel actively tries to capture it. This is one instance in which memories are to be treasured and not feared.