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Beverly
The Murphys are Alix’s parents. When Alix was in high school, her parents came into a large sum of money after successfully suing a funeral home for accidentally cremating (rather than burying) Grandma and Grandpa Murphy. Then, according to Alix, they instantly became “crazy, trashy rich people” who spent their money on gaudy displays of wealth like instruments that famous musicians once owned and even a McMansion. They also hired an older Black woman, Claudette, to care for Alix and her younger sister, Betheny—and made the woman wear a uniform with the name “Murphy” stitched across the back, as though to mark her as their possession. Alix is ashamed of her parents—she changes her name to Alix in part to distance herself from them—and wasn’t too sad when they died. Nevertheless, Alix unwittingly mimics some of the problematic behaviors she once resented in her parents. For instance, she, too, hires a Black woman to care for her child.
The Murphys Quotes in Such a Fun Age
The Such a Fun Age quotes below are all either spoken by The Murphys or refer to The Murphys. 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 21
Quotes
“You act like what happened to you was worse than what happened to Robbie, even though—let’s not even go there. If you love Emira so much, then let her wear what she wants,” Kelley jeered. “I’m sure I didn’t handle things well back in high school. I was seventeen, I was an idiot. But at least I’m not still requiring a uniform for someone who works for me so I can pretend like I own them.”
“Ohmygod!” Alix formed fists with both hands on the table. “You have no idea what you’re talking about. She asked! I lent her a shirt!”
“You lend her the same shirt? Every day? In the business we call that a uniform.”
“You are so completely out of line.”
Related Characters:
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Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 27
Quotes
Kelley was the guy who ruined her senior year, much in the same way that her name was spelled A-l-i-x.
Chapter 28
Quotes
Deep into her thirties, Emira would wrestle with what to take from her time at the Chamberlain house. Some days she carried the sweet relief that Briar would learn to become a self-sufficient person. And some days, Emira would carry the dread that if Briar ever struggled to find herself, she’d probably just hire someone to do it for her.
Get the entire Such a Fun Age LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Murphys Quotes in Such a Fun Age
The Such a Fun Age quotes below are all either spoken by The Murphys or refer to The Murphys. 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 21
Quotes
“You act like what happened to you was worse than what happened to Robbie, even though—let’s not even go there. If you love Emira so much, then let her wear what she wants,” Kelley jeered. “I’m sure I didn’t handle things well back in high school. I was seventeen, I was an idiot. But at least I’m not still requiring a uniform for someone who works for me so I can pretend like I own them.”
“Ohmygod!” Alix formed fists with both hands on the table. “You have no idea what you’re talking about. She asked! I lent her a shirt!”
“You lend her the same shirt? Every day? In the business we call that a uniform.”
“You are so completely out of line.”
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 27
Quotes
Kelley was the guy who ruined her senior year, much in the same way that her name was spelled A-l-i-x.
Chapter 28
Quotes
Deep into her thirties, Emira would wrestle with what to take from her time at the Chamberlain house. Some days she carried the sweet relief that Briar would learn to become a self-sufficient person. And some days, Emira would carry the dread that if Briar ever struggled to find herself, she’d probably just hire someone to do it for her.
