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Sarah Moore
Sarah Moore’s father, Officer Moore is a white police officer in Chicago. He has saved lives and been decorated for bravery—but one December, he responds to a 911 call and fatally shoots Jerome Rogers, a 12-year-old Black boy, after mistaking Jerome for an adult and his toy gun for a real firearm. Notably, Officer Moore fails to announce he and his partner are police and shoots Jerome in the back while Jerome is sprinting away. In addition, neither Officer Moore nor his partner attempt to give Jerome first aid while Jerome is dying. When Sarah, who can see Jerome’s ghost, challenges Officer Moore’s characterization of Jerome as threateningly adult-looking, pointing out that Jerome was her own age and height, Officer Moore storms away. During the hearing to determine whether he will be charged for killing Jerome, Officer Moore repeats, over and over, that Jerome put him “in fear for [his] life.” Jerome eventually concludes that Officer Moore is telling the truth about having been afraid of him, despite Jerome’s being a five-foot-tall 12-year-old, illustrating how irrational Officer Moore’s racist fears of Black boys is. After the judge chooses not to press charges against Officer Moore, he falls into a depression and is implied to be drinking too much, perhaps to ignore the guilt he feels at having killed a child. For a while, Sarah stops speaking to her father and even tells Jerome that she hates him. Ultimately, however, Jerome encourages Sarah to talk to her father again and help him overcome his racist fear of Black boys. At the novel’s end, Officer Moore has agreed to help Sarah with her website memorializing children, like Jerome, killed due to bigotry and fear.
Officer Moore Quotes in Ghost Boys
The Ghost Boys quotes below are all either spoken by Officer Moore or refer to Officer Moore. 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:
).
Dead (p. 3–5)
Quotes
I’m dead.
I thought I was bigger. Tough. But I’m just a bit of nothing.
My arms are outstretched like I was trying to fly like Superman.
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Alive (p. 9–16)
Quotes
I’m pudgy, easily teased. But when I’m a grown-up, everybody’s going to be my friend. I might even be president. Like Obama.
Grandma dropped out of elementary school to care for her younger sisters. Ma and Pop finished high school. Me and Kim are supposed to go to college.
Ma always says, “In this neighborhood, getting a child to adulthood is perilous.”
I looked up the word. Perilous. “Risky, dangerous.”
Dead (p. 21–31)
Quotes
“Emmett. Just like Emmett Till,” says Grandma. “He was a Chicago boy, too.”
“This isn’t 1955,” says Reverend, calming.
“Tamir Rice, then,” shouts Pop. “2014. He died in Cleveland. Another boy shot just because he’s black.”
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Alive (p. 35–44)
Quotes
“You’re nothing in Chicago. Say it.” Snap twists Carlos’s arm. “Say it, ‘I’m nothing.’”
Dead (p. 49–53)
Quotes
“Black lives matter!” someone hollers.
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Dead (p. 63–70)
Quotes
“We could be friends.”
“That’s the stupidest thing.” I’ve never had a friend like Sarah. A white girl. I laugh, it’s so stupid. Die, and a white girl can be your friend.
“I’m not trying to be funny. Stay.”
She’s pleading. I feel sorry for her. My school doesn’t have any Sarahs.
Who knew THE END wasn’t the end?
Alive (p. 75–80)
Quotes
I’m always good. (Teasing Kim doesn’t count.) I say what Grandma wants to hear. Calm her and Ma. Watch out for Kim. Play Minecraft for just an hour. (Okay, sometimes two.) Do my homework. Even act nice when Mr. Myers isn’t asking me (he’s asking the whole class!) to welcome the new kid. Sucker. That’s me. Why can’t I have some fun? Pretend I’m a rebel in Rogue One?
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Dead (p. 85–191)
Quotes
I read the first line: “All children, except one, grow up.”
I frown. “What happened? Did he die?”
“No.” Sarah’s face reddens. “He doesn’t die. He stays a kid. He wants to stay a kid.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t know about it. At least for now. It’s terrible when grown men kill a child.”
“Like my dad?”
Strangely, courtroom benches remind me of church pews. Long, hard, polished wood.
“I was in fear for my life,” he says, more forcefully.
If I were alive, my whole body would be trembling. Officer Moore speaks (I think) a truth he believes. When truth’s a feeling, can it be both? Both true and untrue?
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“An emergency nine-one-one call, a young man with a realistic-looking gun, a concern for public safety, and an officer’s fear for his life are all facts I’ve considered.
“In the opinion of this court, there is not enough evidence to charge Officer Moore with excessive force, manslaughter, or murder.”
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Emmett’s the leader. The leader of our crew. An unnatural alliance—young, but dead.
Ghost boys.
I understand now. Everything isn’t all about me.
Emmett murmurs, “Bear witness.”
“What’s that mean?”
“Everyone needs their story heard. Felt. We honor each other. Connect across time.”
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“I was ashamed.”
“Never be. You’re a good son. Everyone gets scared sometimes. It’s how you handle it that matters.”
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Emmett told me that the men who killed him never believed they did wrong. An all-white jury found them innocent.
The judge said there wasn’t enough evidence to charge Officer Moore with a crime. But he’s not celebrating.
Is that progress?
Get the entire Ghost Boys LitChart as a printable PDF.
Officer Moore Quotes in Ghost Boys
The Ghost Boys quotes below are all either spoken by Officer Moore or refer to Officer Moore. 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:
).
Dead (p. 3–5)
Quotes
I’m dead.
I thought I was bigger. Tough. But I’m just a bit of nothing.
My arms are outstretched like I was trying to fly like Superman.
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Alive (p. 9–16)
Quotes
I’m pudgy, easily teased. But when I’m a grown-up, everybody’s going to be my friend. I might even be president. Like Obama.
Grandma dropped out of elementary school to care for her younger sisters. Ma and Pop finished high school. Me and Kim are supposed to go to college.
Ma always says, “In this neighborhood, getting a child to adulthood is perilous.”
I looked up the word. Perilous. “Risky, dangerous.”
Dead (p. 21–31)
Quotes
“Emmett. Just like Emmett Till,” says Grandma. “He was a Chicago boy, too.”
“This isn’t 1955,” says Reverend, calming.
“Tamir Rice, then,” shouts Pop. “2014. He died in Cleveland. Another boy shot just because he’s black.”
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Alive (p. 35–44)
Quotes
“You’re nothing in Chicago. Say it.” Snap twists Carlos’s arm. “Say it, ‘I’m nothing.’”
Dead (p. 49–53)
Quotes
“Black lives matter!” someone hollers.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Dead (p. 63–70)
Quotes
“We could be friends.”
“That’s the stupidest thing.” I’ve never had a friend like Sarah. A white girl. I laugh, it’s so stupid. Die, and a white girl can be your friend.
“I’m not trying to be funny. Stay.”
She’s pleading. I feel sorry for her. My school doesn’t have any Sarahs.
Who knew THE END wasn’t the end?
Alive (p. 75–80)
Quotes
I’m always good. (Teasing Kim doesn’t count.) I say what Grandma wants to hear. Calm her and Ma. Watch out for Kim. Play Minecraft for just an hour. (Okay, sometimes two.) Do my homework. Even act nice when Mr. Myers isn’t asking me (he’s asking the whole class!) to welcome the new kid. Sucker. That’s me. Why can’t I have some fun? Pretend I’m a rebel in Rogue One?
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Dead (p. 85–191)
Quotes
I read the first line: “All children, except one, grow up.”
I frown. “What happened? Did he die?”
“No.” Sarah’s face reddens. “He doesn’t die. He stays a kid. He wants to stay a kid.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t know about it. At least for now. It’s terrible when grown men kill a child.”
“Like my dad?”
Strangely, courtroom benches remind me of church pews. Long, hard, polished wood.
“I was in fear for my life,” he says, more forcefully.
If I were alive, my whole body would be trembling. Officer Moore speaks (I think) a truth he believes. When truth’s a feeling, can it be both? Both true and untrue?
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
“An emergency nine-one-one call, a young man with a realistic-looking gun, a concern for public safety, and an officer’s fear for his life are all facts I’ve considered.
“In the opinion of this court, there is not enough evidence to charge Officer Moore with excessive force, manslaughter, or murder.”
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Emmett’s the leader. The leader of our crew. An unnatural alliance—young, but dead.
Ghost boys.
I understand now. Everything isn’t all about me.
Emmett murmurs, “Bear witness.”
“What’s that mean?”
“Everyone needs their story heard. Felt. We honor each other. Connect across time.”
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
“I was ashamed.”
“Never be. You’re a good son. Everyone gets scared sometimes. It’s how you handle it that matters.”
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Emmett told me that the men who killed him never believed they did wrong. An all-white jury found them innocent.
The judge said there wasn’t enough evidence to charge Officer Moore with a crime. But he’s not celebrating.
Is that progress?
