Sold on a Monday

“She could make something good out of the utterly horrible. She could bring children too easily forgotten to the foreground, a reminder that each of them mattered. A hard-won lesson from her past.” 

Lily’s character is motivated by her devotion to children based on her own experience of giving birth to Samuel out of wedlock and choosing to raise him as a single parent. Her circumstances of living in a town where people judged her and questioned the morality of raising him, motivates her to protect all children from the feelings of being unwanted, which links to the theme of the treatment and mistreatment of children. 

“’Cause the reason I’d called you in here was about writing a feature. A family profile to go with this photo of yours. If that isn’t too much trouble.” 

This quote sets the stage for the novel’s main conflict because Trimble assigns Ellis his first feature article, which is to write the story about the two boys in the picture that he took, and in turn, substitutes with the Dillard children. This moment also holds open the possibility that Ellis will develop into a byline reporter and fuels his ambition to become a serious newspaper reporter.

“As I drove off, I just kept thinking about those boys. They didn’t ask for the bum score they’re getting, but somehow they’ll make do. Adults, we’re all so busy griping about our tough breaks, and kids like them, their lives change in a split second and you hardly hear a peep. Not about the big things anyway.” 

This quote establishes the emerging theme of the treatment of children. The story develops multiple story lines that revolve around the treatment of children in that time: from the discussions later about Lily keeping Samuel, to the treatment of the two boys who were for sale, to the breaker boys in the mines, and ultimately Lily and Calvin. Ellis and Lily’s attitudes towards children, Ellis’s feelings for his dead brother, and Lily’s feelings for her son, are also key motivations for the characters to right Ellis’s wrong choice.

“Eventually, out of their small talk arose standard wisecracks about Ellis being a ‘sob sister,’ a reference to female reporters, since most were relegated to sentimental assignments. Like the Society section.” 

The theme of gender norms in the workplace is shown in this quote because both Ellis and Lily are treated with discrimination. The quote also links into another reason why Ellis is so ambitious and tired of his job that he would lie to get ahead. For Ellis, working in what is considered to be a “female” reporter’s area opens him up to ridicule. The work also makes him long for the more challenging work in political or hard news, which is the object of his own ambition and the mark of his success.

“He had the sign and the setting. All he needed was a pair of boys. Maybe a brother was playing inside. Or a cousin, a friend.” 

This quote marks the moment when Ellis decides that he can substitute the picture of the real boys who were on the porch with a sign and substitute them for Ruby and Calvin Dillard. Ellis’s idea to fake the picture is a major plot twist that establishes the story’s main conflict to right the wrong of this decision, and shows Ellis’s ambition in doing what at the time he sees as resourcefulness but comes to know is fueled by misguided ambition.

“From beneath her supplies of pencils, stamps, and staples, she retrieved her forest-green folder. Its corners were bent, its edges tattered from years of storing the essays and columns she had crafted in school. She hadn’t saved them all, only her level best.” 

This folder, which Lily keeps hidden, is a symbol of her desire to become a reporter and to overcome the sexism that plagues women trying to become reporters in this time period. She brings out her folder for confidence and to remind her of the goals that she has set for herself. Lily is also ambitious, and her clips show that even if she is working as a secretary now, she is still trying to advance in a male-dominated profession.

“Your folks over in Delaware. They own a deli, don’t they? You must have some nice recipes you could share for the Sunday editions.” 

Lily is asking again for reporting work to replace Schiller, but this quote is the chief’s reaction. He rejects the idea of a woman taking on Schiller’s role and instead offers her the traditional role for women reporters in a traditional subject matter. He cannot see her in any other kind of role. The quote further highlights a main theme about how gender roles were constructed in the time period to put women into traditional roles inside the home, or in the work force duplicating roles in the home as helpers (secretaries) rather than leaders (editors-in-chief).

“One day he, too, would become a brave newsman, he’d vowed. He would do the exact opposite of the lowly muckrakers that his father griped about—‘vultures,’ he called them. In Jim Reed’s world, a man of real value created something tangible and useful to society, practical items that could last.” 

This quote shows the importance of Ellis’s relationship to his father and introduces another look at the importance of family to the story. Ellis’s father disapproves of Ellis becoming a reporter. But Ellis is driven by his desire to prove his father wrong, to show his father that he can succeed in this profession that his dad so dislikes. The quote also shows, however, that Ellis wants his father to understand that his profession has value, and in turn that Ellis is valuable, too.

“Then the couple engaged in a kiss, publicly appropriate yet wholly tender, triggering an unexpected feeling in Lily. A romantic longing she had nearly forgotten existed, an ancient magnet pulling at her heart.” 

This quote shows Lily’s first real acknowledgment that her feelings for Ellis are deeper than just a passing interest; rather, her feelings are romantic. This quote further sets up the subplot of the love interest between Ellis and Lily by firmly establishing Lily’s interest in Ellis. The feelings are so strong that Lily decides to deliver the letter to Ellis in person, which advances the plot in that it sets up Ellis’s apology, which leads to their teaming up to find the children.

“Ellis didn’t stray from his father’s hardening gaze. And why should he? He’d grown tired of remaining quiet, of backing down. The only time he wasn’t invisible, he was doing something wrong.”

This quote is a turning point in the conflict between Ellis and his father. Ellis makes the decision to stand up to his father; to look at his father man to man rather than cower from him, simply do what he asks, or to try to make things better. Ellis pushes the confrontation to the point where they are faced with the death of Henry and how each of the character’s feels about it. 

‘“To apologize, for my behavior that night. For the cruddy stuff I said. I’d planned to say this days ago, but…some things happened...’ His gaze rose to hers, and the marked sincerity in his eyes couldn’t be overlooked. Nor could his effort.” 

The author’s use of colloquial language is apparent here, with the use of the adjective “cruddy.” The quote also highlights a turning point in the relationship between Lily and Ellis because it is at this time that they decide to work together to find the children. This quote also details a moment when Ellis and Lily start to admit their feelings towards one another, even though Lily is still seeing Clayton. Finally, it marks a moment when Ellis is starting to change back to the person that Lily first met, to fix the wrong that he caused by substituting the pictures.

“But honestly, Ellis was just too tired to slap another bandage over the festering reality of the man’s disapproval. Besides, how could he ask for any level of respect until the mystery of the Dillards was put to rest?” 

This quote shows Ellis’s turmoil over how he had spoken to his father and how his desire to fix his relationship with his father becomes linked to his need to fix the situation with the Dillards. Ellis’s father’s opinion matters to him. So, even though he is not quite ready to apologize and make amends, he understands that he must right his own wrongs, to do the right thing in his own eyes, before he can command the respect that he wants from his father.

“Now she understood—not just why Geraldine had given up her children, but why she would take money in return. Care at a sanitorium would not be free.” 

A key piece of information is highlighted in this quote in figuring out Geraldine’s motivations for selling the children. As Lily and Ellis begin tracking down the Dillards, learning this info about Geraldine also solidifies in Lily’s mind at least that the family must be reunited, even if Ellis is not quite yet fully convinced. And she pushes ahead with her idea that their purpose is reuniting the family, not simply finding out if the children are safe.

“I know your father hasn’t always been the easiest. But I thought if you knew more, you’d understand. Deep down, he’s truly proud of what you’ve accomplished. He just has trouble separating his past from the work you do.” 

This quote highlights the theme of family. The quote explains Ellis’s father’s side of the story, through his mother’s eyes. But more importantly, it shows how family members take on roles in their own family, in this case Ellis’s mom’s role as the peacemaker. In her role, she supports each person, and is a particularly strong support for Ellis, and works for their reconciliation to keep her entire family together.  

“Maybe in some ways she was, because she absolutely had to believe a solution existed, that the powerful bond inherent between a mother and child could surmount any obstacle separating them. And yet, Lily had also learned how the support of another person, even unexpectedly, could prove far more vital.” 

This quote shows Lily’s motivation for not only keeping Samuel when she could have given him up for adoption and saved her family the shame. This quote also shows her motivation for believing that Geraldine belongs with her children, even though Geraldine stated that she only wanted to know they were well. Lily believes, from her own experience, that her intervention, with Ellis’s help, can change the course of Ruby and Calvin’s lives for the better.

‘“Sometimes,’ Alfred added lightly, ‘we have to make sacrifices for the ones we love. You understand.’” 

This quote highlights a theme of this novel: The importance of family. Alfred Millstone had lost a child and then moved from California so that his wife could be closer to her family and to raise Ruby and Calvin, the children they bought. These are the kinds of sacrifices to which he refers and are shown also in the struggles of all the mothers and fathers in this story, even though the sacrifices, and how each character deals with them, differ.

“The revelation slid up Lily’s spine, an icy finger, launching a shiver through her veins, and a halting question through her mind. Where in heaven’s name was Calvin?” 

Arriving at the Millstone’s only to realize that Calvin is not in any pictures is an example of a plot twist. To this point, Ellis and Lily believe that the child’s giggles that Ellis heard when peering through the curtains at the Millstone’s home was the voice of Calvin. They now realize that they have another mystery to solve.

“By the time they reached Dearborn, Ellis couldn’t deny the truth: Geraldine Dillard wanted her kids back. More than practical reasons, though, kept her form demanding such a thing. It was shame. He saw that now, more than ever, after Lily’s story in the kitchen. In different ways, both mothers believed that losing their children was the atonement they deserved.” 

This quote highlights the powerful emotions driving Lily and Geraldine in working to get the children back together. For Geraldine, the shame stems from her inability to take care of them after her husband died and her illness progressed. For Lily, her shame stems from her unwed mother status and her decision to keep Samuel. The shame, although for different reasons, leads to the same result as both women fear that they deserve to lose their children.

“You want another apology? Fine. I’m sorry for letting you down tonight, and for quitting at the plant. I’m sorry my job at the Examiner meant working for peanuts. I’m sorry for every goddamn time I wasn’t good enough for you. Most of all, I’m sorry that when my brother died, you lost the wrong son.” 

The turning point in Ellis and his father’s relationship comes when Ellis declares that he believes that his father doesn’t love him because the wrong son died. Ellis believes it is the reason why his father does not show him love and affection, and why they are in constant battle. Ellis’s honesty in recounting his feelings to his father, however, leads to their reconciliation. Jim is stunned by his son’s feelings and in turn tells Ellis what happened the day his brother died and offers to be there to help Ellis resolve the problem with the Dillards. With their relationship on the mend, the subplot is resolved.

“At last, he replied with finality, ‘A man’s gotta do what’s best for his family.’” 

This quote is by the Italian mobster Max Trevino, Sylvia’s brother, after Ellis tells him the story of Ruby and Calvin and of Sylvia’s depression and threats towards Ellis. Max decides that the children will have to go back to Geraldine because it is the best thing for the children and for his sister. Even though he knows that Sylvia will be heartbroken, he must do what is best for the family, although it is not clear whether he means the mob or his blood family, Sylvia and Alfred.

‘“I see the problem you all got,’ he acknowledged. ‘Now this here’s mine. I gave up good money for that boy. Bought him fair ‘n’ square.’” 

Bob Gantry’s treatment of Calvin highlights perfectly the theme of the mistreatment of children. Lily and Ellis track Calvin from the Children’s Home to the farm and the man they believe adopted Calvin, only to learn that he bought him. This is another example of the book’s title, how children were bought and sold, and how when they are supposedly adopted when they are children, they are actually put to work and never treated like members of the family. 

“He nearly choked on the last bit, realizing how that very photo, his photo, had brought the child to this.” 

Ellis is incredibly shocked when he sees Calvin chained, hungry, and alone in the barn, and the full realization of what he has done sinks in. Ellis and Lily have come to take Calvin, but neither had any idea of the abuse that the child was suffering under. When Calvin recognizes him, the pain of knowing that he caused this much pain overwhelms him.

“Then Geraldine held the hands of her children and turned to Alfred. ‘I got both my kids here, and I’ll be taking ‘em with me.’ She wasn’t vindictive or cold, simply assertive as their rightful mother.” 

Geraldine’s journey to get her children back has come to an end, and so too has the journey for Ellis and Lily. But this quote also highlights how Geraldine’s shame never prevented her from doing what was right for her children or from always wanting what was best for them. Like Ellis, Geraldine is also, in the end, able to undue her own choice (to sell her children) and give them the life they deserve.