“A grown woman is like a coyote – she can get by on very little. Men are more like house cats. Leave them alone for too long and they'll die of sadness.”
Here, Eileen comments retrospectively on her own endurance as a young woman. She remarks on her own resilience, in spite of her confinement in social gender roles and in the physical space of her father's house. The assertion states that women in general have the fortitude to survive. This quote ties together both Eileen's difficult life circumstances and her ultimate escape from them to her gender.
“There is nobody watching you when you’re alone. You decide for yourself what’s right and wrong. There are no prizes for good little girls. If you want something, fight for it. Don’t be a fool.”
The narrative is about molding one’s own destiny and not letting society dictate the course of their life. Over time, Eileen learns how to take control of her own life. To create substantial change, drastic measure must be taken. In the novel, Eileen must make a big decision in order to live the liberated and authentic life she dreams of.
“It’s easy to tell the dirtiest minds—look for the cleanest fingernails.”
This quote states that peoples' internal natures are often the opposite of how they appear on the outside. Eileen's narrative repeatedly introduces characters that are more than they appear to be. Characters such as Rebecca and Leonard are later revealed to be more than what their appearances and behaviors imply. The quotation also refers to the novel's themes of personal hygiene, sex, and innocence.
