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Bad time Quote by Christopher Paul Curtis

“Six is a bad time too 'cause that's when some real scary things start to happen to your body, it's around then that your teeth start to coming a-loose in your mouth. You wake up one morning and it seems like your tongue is the first one to notice that something strange is going on, 'cause as soon…” quote by Christopher Paul Curtis
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““Six is a bad time too 'cause that's when some real scary things start to happen to your body, it's around then that your teeth start to coming a-loose in your mouth. You wake up one morning and it seems like your tongue is the first one to notice that something strange is going on, 'cause as soon as you get up there it is pushing and rubbing up against one of your front teeth and I'll be doggoned if that tooth isn't the littlest bit wiggly. At first you think it's kind of funny, but the tooth keeps getting looser and looser and one day, in the middle of pushing the tooth back and forth and squinching your eyes shut, you pull it clean out. It's the scariest thing you can think of 'cause you lose control of your tongue at the same time and no matter how hard you try to stop it, it won't leave the new hold in your mouth alone, it keeps digging around in the spot where that tooth used to be. You tell some adult about what's happening but all they do is say it's normal. You can't be too sure, though, 'cause it shakes you up a whole lot more than grown folks think it does when perfectly good parts of your body commence to loosening up and falling of off you. Unless you're as stupid as a lamppost you've got to wonder what's coming off next, your arm? Your leg? Your neck? Every morning when you wake up it seems a lot of your parts aren't stuck on as good as they used to be.””

Christopher Paul Curtis

About This Quote

The narrator describes a frightening bodily change, using a loose tooth as a metaphor for loss of control and fear of further decay.

In simple terms: A loose tooth symbolizes unsettling bodily changes and loss of control.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and confront bodily anxieties.

Themes

fear body change

Mood

uneasy curious

Type

narrative cautionary

When to use this quote

  • Adolescence
  • health concerns
  • psychological horror

Key Concepts

Anxiety loss of control metaphor

Questions to Reflect On

  • What bodily changes are truly alarming?
  • How can we differentiate normal growth from pathology?
A Different Perspective

The vivid description may sensationalize normal puberty, causing unnecessary alarm.

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