Chapter 16 Quotations

"It was August 28. Her birthday. She'd have been fifty that day, if she'd lived." "She didn't live. She didn't get to be fifty. She would never be fifty." - Chapter 16 please p.g 264

1. Does the quotation characterize Cheryl, Paul, her mother, or another character? If so, in what way does it characterize?

This quotation characterizes Cheryl's mother. Cheryl's mother died at the age of forty five. Cheryl's mother died of lung cancer, forty nine days after she was diagnosed with it. After the doctor at the Mayo Clinic got results back from there tests, they told Cheryl that she would be lucky to live a year. The doctor also explained that it was common to find lung cancer that late, and that the only thing he could offer was radiation to reduce the size of the tumors. This quotation characterizes Cheryl's mother by showing that she was sick. Cheryl's mother had reached a point of no return because the cancer was found so late.

2. Does the quotation indicate a conflict? If so, what conflict?

This quotation indicates internal conflict with Cheryl herself. Cheryl's mom died of lung cancer at the age of forty five. The doctors gave her at least a year to live, but she only lived forty nine days after she was diagnosed. Cheryl's was very close to her mom and after she died it really broke the family apart. While hiking on the Pacific Crest Trail, Cheryl thought about several memories with her mom. Cheryl then began to blame herself as part of the reason the family fell apart. In chapter 16 Cheryl stated "Dying at forty five had only been the worst thing she done wrong". Cheryl then began to make a list of all of her mother wrong doings to make herself feel better. Cheryl's stated that her mother failed. The conflict about this is Cheryl fought herself all of these years over the death of her mother, but out of nowhere begins to blame her mother for all of the things she didn't teach her.

"She was optimistic to an annoying degree, given to saying those stupid things: We're not poor because we're rich in love! Or when one door closes another one opens up!" - Chapter 16 p.g 266

1. Does the quotation relate to a theme? If so, which theme and how does it relate?

This quotation relates to the theme of this story in many ways. One theme of this story is to fight through perseverance. Cheryl ran into many problems while hiking on the trail. One of the problems were her boots. The boots Cheryl had were too small and blistered her feet severely. While hiking on the trail one day one of Cheryl boots fell over a cliff. So she had to make due with what she had until she reached her next destination. Also Cheryl's backpack "Monster" relates to the theme. When Cheryl begin hiking the PCT she couldn't even lift the backpack of the ground. She always made a way to get it on her back and keep going. Cheryl continued to push on through all the aches and pain because she had a goal to accomplish.

2.Does the quotation characterize Cheryl, Paul, her mother, or another character? If so, in what way does it characterize?

This quotation characterizes how optimistic Cheryl's mother was in her lifetime. Cheryl's mother always looked at the positive side of things. When her mother states "When one door closes another one opens up" It shows that she felt like no matter what happens she still would make it. Even though Cheryl blamed her mother for being overly optimistic Cheryl used some of these same traits while on the trail. In tough to situations Cheryl would tell herself things like "I'm not afraid", and " I'd like to push on if there's a way". Overall Cheryl's mother being optimistic taught Cheryl to think about the positive side and less about the negative side.