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Jack is a tough, independent bus driver whom Rachel profiles. After Beth tells off a white mother and daughter for making racist comments about an interracial couple, Jack compliments her courage and explains that he grew up working in manual labor jobs with immigrants from all over the world. He also tells Rachel and Beth that he has been single for more than 20 years, in part because he feels too independent to tie himself down with a relationship, and in part because he is still in love with a girl from high school. He also explains that he can often help direct his passengers to the psychological and social services they need, because he used to be a community service counselor. He is an avid cook, and he loves giving his creations away to his passengers. As an ode to his skill and creativity, Rachel includes several of his traditional Pennsylvania German recipes in the book. In addition to showing how bus drivers can play an important role in helping others and holding their communities together, Jack shares Beth’s stubborn independence and Rachel’s bad luck with romance.
Jack Quotes in Riding the Bus with My Sister
The Riding the Bus with My Sister quotes below are all either spoken by Jack or refer to Jack. 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:
).
21. August: The Loner
Quotes
To Beth, every day is Independence Day. This was not true for the first half of her life, and for the next quarter it was more of a rebel war, with its own versions of boycotts (particularly at meals), Boston Tea Parties (I shudder to remember her efforts to overturn the order in her classroom), and a one-woman Minuteman regiment. Since she has lived on her own, though, each day her actions declare anew that all men are created equal, and have the inalienable right to life, liberty, and, especially, the pursuit of happiness. I love this about her, and, now that I have come to see her as proudly bearing the torch of self-determination, I regard her as courageous, a social pioneer.
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“I wish I had a ‘Help Anyone, Anytime Book,’ like Jack’s.”
“Why?”
What I want is a guide to being a good sister, to doing well by Beth, and I would leave it propped on my lap all the time. There would be instructions on how to adjust my guidance to her self-reliance, and how to find the difference between caring and controlling.
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Get the entire Riding the Bus with My Sister LitChart as a printable PDF.
Jack Quotes in Riding the Bus with My Sister
The Riding the Bus with My Sister quotes below are all either spoken by Jack or refer to Jack. 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:
).
21. August: The Loner
Quotes
To Beth, every day is Independence Day. This was not true for the first half of her life, and for the next quarter it was more of a rebel war, with its own versions of boycotts (particularly at meals), Boston Tea Parties (I shudder to remember her efforts to overturn the order in her classroom), and a one-woman Minuteman regiment. Since she has lived on her own, though, each day her actions declare anew that all men are created equal, and have the inalienable right to life, liberty, and, especially, the pursuit of happiness. I love this about her, and, now that I have come to see her as proudly bearing the torch of self-determination, I regard her as courageous, a social pioneer.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
“I wish I had a ‘Help Anyone, Anytime Book,’ like Jack’s.”
“Why?”
What I want is a guide to being a good sister, to doing well by Beth, and I would leave it propped on my lap all the time. There would be instructions on how to adjust my guidance to her self-reliance, and how to find the difference between caring and controlling.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
