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Mr. Canton
Mrs. Stroud is a social worker, employed by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), assigned to eighth-grader Joseph Brook’s case after the rich parents of Joseph’s girlfriend, Madeleine Joyce, take out an injunction against him. After Madeleine dies giving birth to her and Joseph’s baby, Jupiter, Mrs. Stroud gives Joseph a photo of the baby (which she isn’t supposed to do) but encourages him to sign away his parental rights because he’s too young and irresponsible to raise a child. After Joseph is repeatedly assaulted at a juvenile facility called Stone Mountain, Mrs. Stroud appeals to former foster parents Mr. Hurd and Mrs. Hurd to take him in. Though sympathetic to Joseph and respectful to the Hurds, Mrs. Stroud has a cautious, institutional approach to her work and encourages the Hurds not to get too emotionally involved in Joseph’s case.
Mrs. Stroud Quotes in Orbiting Jupiter
The Orbiting Jupiter quotes below are all either spoken by Mrs. Stroud or refer to Mrs. Stroud. 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:
).
Chapter 1
Quotes
They sent Joseph to Stone Mountain, even though he did what he did because the kid gave him something bad and he swallowed it. But that didn’t matter. They sent him to Stone Mountain anyway.
He won’t talk about what happened to him there. But since he left Stone Mountain, he won’t wear anything orange.
He won’t let anyone stand behind him.
He won’t let anyone touch him.
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”Do you think Joseph will fit in?” my mother asked me later.
“Rosie loves him,” I said.
I didn’t need to say anything more. You can tell all you need to know about someone from the way cows are around him.
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Chapter 4
Quotes
He was going to be a father, he said.
He was only thirteen, she said again.
Chapter 5
Quotes
When my father put his hand on Joseph’s back, Joseph didn’t even flinch.
Chapter 6
Quotes
You know what happened when Mr. Brook put his hand on Joseph’s back?
Joseph flinched.
But he went into the living room with his father anyway.
Chapter 7
Quotes
Mr. Canton had already come by, so full of himself, my mother said, all about how he knew something like this would happen, and kids who come from Stone Mountain are bound to run off, and it’s not our fault, it’s just that’s who Joseph Brook is.
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Mrs. Stroud Quotes in Orbiting Jupiter
The Orbiting Jupiter quotes below are all either spoken by Mrs. Stroud or refer to Mrs. Stroud. 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:
).
Chapter 1
Quotes
They sent Joseph to Stone Mountain, even though he did what he did because the kid gave him something bad and he swallowed it. But that didn’t matter. They sent him to Stone Mountain anyway.
He won’t talk about what happened to him there. But since he left Stone Mountain, he won’t wear anything orange.
He won’t let anyone stand behind him.
He won’t let anyone touch him.
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
”Do you think Joseph will fit in?” my mother asked me later.
“Rosie loves him,” I said.
I didn’t need to say anything more. You can tell all you need to know about someone from the way cows are around him.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 4
Quotes
He was going to be a father, he said.
He was only thirteen, she said again.
Chapter 5
Quotes
When my father put his hand on Joseph’s back, Joseph didn’t even flinch.
Chapter 6
Quotes
You know what happened when Mr. Brook put his hand on Joseph’s back?
Joseph flinched.
But he went into the living room with his father anyway.
Chapter 7
Quotes
Mr. Canton had already come by, so full of himself, my mother said, all about how he knew something like this would happen, and kids who come from Stone Mountain are bound to run off, and it’s not our fault, it’s just that’s who Joseph Brook is.
