Mandy, I hardly think this was appropriate, not after… you know… after the funeral we haven't had the money for any of your weird little games and I was hoping you'd be more mature now that Jud's gone," her father had disappointedly added. "How much'd that cake cost you?" "It's paid for," Mandy had argued, but her voice had sounded tiny in the harbour wind. "I used the cash from my summer job at Frenchy's last year and I… it was my birthday, dad!" "You can't even be normal about this one thing, can you?" her father had complained. Mandy hadn't cried, she'd only stared back knowingly, her voice shaky. "…I'm normal.
In a tense exchange between Mandy and her father, he expresses disappointment regarding her behavior following her brother Jud's funeral. He questions the appropriateness of her actions, especially her decision to spend money on a cake for her birthday, which he views as excessive given their financial situation. He emphasizes that they have not been able to afford trivialities, and he hopes for her maturity during this difficult time.
Mandy defends her choice, insisting that she used her own savings from a summer job to pay for the cake. Despite her father's criticism, she maintains that she is still a normal person, indicating a struggle for understanding amidst the grief and expectations of her father's perspective. The conversation highlights the conflicts that arise within families dealing with loss, as well as the search for individual expression in the face of overwhelming sorrow.
