Skip to main content

In Tangerine, what does Paul's mom say about the house she grew up in?

Although Paul's mom says almost nothing, directly, about the house she grew up in, her comments in the chapter titled "Thursday, August 31" strongly imply that she grew up in a very small and/or very run-down house in a poor neighborhood:


Mom suddenly got very serious. "Paul, I'm talking as somebody who never, ever lived in a nice house growing up. Or even lived anywhere near a nice house. This is not a joke to...

Although Paul's mom says almost nothing, directly, about the house she grew up in, her comments in the chapter titled "Thursday, August 31" strongly imply that she grew up in a very small and/or very run-down house in a poor neighborhood:



Mom suddenly got very serious. "Paul, I'm talking as somebody who never, ever lived in a nice house growing up. Or even lived anywhere near a nice house. This is not a joke to me. Your house is your family's biggest investment. And you have to protect that investment."



The home that the Fisher family has moved into in Tangerine is clearly very nice, representing the upper middle-class lifestyle that the family enjoys. There's a guardhouse at the front of the neighborhood, everything is newly built, and each of the boys gets his own room in the house.


By contrast, Paul's mom was definitely not raised in such luxury when she was a child. This comes up in the novel because Paul finds it strange that his mom is so worried about the smell of the muck fires near their home, as well as the uniformity of the mailboxes all along their street. Paul sees no reason to care much about these things. But his mother understands that it's details like these that can lower the property value of a home. She treats the situation with such seriousness because, more so than her sons, she understands the need to ensure that the family's investment in the house remains a smart one.


Why is this important to consider? It tells us a lot about Mrs. Fisher as a character in this story. She's serious, shrewd, and proactive about maintaining the stability of her relatively luxurious life.

Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more

Explain and discuss how the definitions of freedom change for the nation, for the freedmen and for southern whites after the Civil War.

After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to... After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to belong to without being ordered to attend religious services (or not to attend) by their mast...
Post a Comment
Read more