Pa don’t care about the kid…He don’t care at all, and I don’t care to get my head busted neither…He don’t care about anybody. All he cares about is his whiskey.
-- Jorge (N/A)

Importance: Jorge says this to Hans after trying to wake Pa. Jorge's comments help to foreshadow Pa's portrayal as a selfish man who truly does seem to value whiskey above all other things in his life. This characterization serves to highlight Pa's main apparent character flaws as presented in the story.

Ma never went near the old man when he was sleeping it off. Not any more. Not for years...she could see the scar on her chin where he'd cut her with a boot cleat
-- Jorge (N/A)

Importance: Jorge states this in narration as Ma bravely volunteers to help revive the Pedersen boy by finding one of Pa's hidden bottles of whiskey. The context provided by...