How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
"Were you looking for trouble like your old man used to get into? Don't try to be like me, Will. You're too smart for that." (32.17)
Here's an interesting new perspective on Will Junior: Will idolizes his father so much that he's willing to do reckless things in order to be like Bill—even if those things aren't good ideas in the first place. That's a new angle on the concept of tradition.
Quote #8
"Savvy birthdays always tend to cause a rumpus." (34.16)
It's almost sadly fatalistic for the Beaumonts that every few years they have to learn to deal with a new savvy from one of their (multiple) teenagers. This seems like it could be a kind of stressful tradition.
Quote #9
He held the glass jar with its faded label tucked into the crook of his arm, and I knew immediately which one it was. (34.17)
Tradition helps you persevere when the suffering seems like it's too much to bear, it's the spark of familiarity and normalcy when the chaos swirls around you. That's why Grandpa Bomba brings the jar with them to the hospital—it's the jar that holds Momma and Poppa's song, and it's meant to be a symbol of what holds the family together.