Teddy

“‘You know what I’d like to do?’ Mr. McArdle said. ‘I’d like to kick your goddamn head open.’”

This quote characterizes Mr. McArdle as ornery. While Mrs. McArdle offers “playful” threats of her own, it is unclear whether or not she takes Mr. McArdle’s threat as real. Regardless of the truth, their daughter Booper’s speech is clearly influenced by them and these characteristics combine to build toward the story’s theme of The Loss of Innocence.

“It’s interesting that I know about them being there. If I hadn’t seen them, then I wouldn’t know they were there, and if I didn’t know they were there, I wouldn’t be able to say they exist.”

This quote characterizes young Teddy as wise beyond his years, later confirmed by his comments about being a reincarnated man. Here, Teddy also raises philosophical questions that build tension and reflect Postmodernism’s embrace of ambiguity and multiple interpretations (See: Background).

“‘After I go out this door, I may only exist in the minds of all my acquaintances,’ he said. ‘I may be an orange peel.’”

Teddy mutters this quote as he is about to leave his parents’ cabin to find Booper. While this line most obviously builds on the theme of The Search for Spiritual Enlightenment, the symbolism of him as an orange peel also foreshadows the short story’s ambiguous ending—like the peels, Teddy may disconnect from his body through death.