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Queen
Adam was Booker’s brother. A pedophile sexually assaulted and killed him when he was a child. As an adult, Booker’s life still revolves around his brother’s death. He keeps people at a distance to avoid feeling the kind of pain he felt when Adam died. Later in the novel, Booker realizes that his decision not to move past the pain of losing Adam has more to do with him and what he sees as his selfishness than it does with Adam or Adam’s life.
Adam Quotes in God Help the Child
The God Help the Child quotes below are all either spoken by Adam or refer to Adam. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Part 3
Quotes
When the police responded to their plea for help in searching for Adam, they immediately searched the Starberns’ house—as though the anxious parents might be at fault. They checked to see if the father had a police record. He didn’t. “We’ll get back to you,” they said. Then they dropped it. Another little black boy gone. So?
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 4, Chapter 2
Quotes
You should take heartbreak of whatever kind seriously with the courage to let it blaze and burn like the pulsing star it is unable or unwilling to be soothed into pathetic self-blame because its explosive brilliance rings justifiably loud like the din of a tympani.
Queen’s right, he thought. Except for Adam I don’t know anything about love. Adam had no faults, was innocent, pure, easy to love. Had he lived, grown up to have flaws, human failings like deception, foolishness and ignorance, would he be so easy to adore or be even worthy of adoration? What kind of love is it that requires and only an angel for its commitment?
Get the entire God Help the Child LitChart as a printable PDF.
Adam Quotes in God Help the Child
The God Help the Child quotes below are all either spoken by Adam or refer to Adam. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Part 3
Quotes
When the police responded to their plea for help in searching for Adam, they immediately searched the Starberns’ house—as though the anxious parents might be at fault. They checked to see if the father had a police record. He didn’t. “We’ll get back to you,” they said. Then they dropped it. Another little black boy gone. So?
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 4, Chapter 2
Quotes
You should take heartbreak of whatever kind seriously with the courage to let it blaze and burn like the pulsing star it is unable or unwilling to be soothed into pathetic self-blame because its explosive brilliance rings justifiably loud like the din of a tympani.
Queen’s right, he thought. Except for Adam I don’t know anything about love. Adam had no faults, was innocent, pure, easy to love. Had he lived, grown up to have flaws, human failings like deception, foolishness and ignorance, would he be so easy to adore or be even worthy of adoration? What kind of love is it that requires and only an angel for its commitment?
