I learned early that crying out in protest could accomplish things. My older brothers and sister had started to school when, sometimes, they would come in and ask for a buttered biscuit or something and my mother, impatiently, would tell them no. But I would cry out and make a fuss until I got what I wanted. I remember well how my mother asked me why I couldn't be a nice boy like Wilfred; but I would think to myself that Wilfred, for being so nice and quiet, often stayed hungry. So early in life, I had learned that if you want something, you had better make some noise.

Summary

This quote highlights the author's early recognition that expressing protest and making noise could lead to accomplishing their desires. The author shares a childhood memory of their siblings being denied food by their mother, but when the author cried out and made a fuss, they were able to get what they wanted. While their mother wished for the author to be calm and well-behaved like their sibling, the author realized that being nice and quiet often resulted in being overlooked and remaining unsatisfied. This experience taught the author the importance of vocalizing needs and making oneself heard in order to achieve desired outcomes.

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