I joined the circle of men and one woman. For some reason, women freaks attracted men more than they did other women. Men freaks, on the other hand, attracted whole families. Even little children. I don’t know if this was always the case, or whether one can make a fast rule of it, but whenever I paid my dime or nickel, it was generally the case.
-- Narration (Book I)

Importance: This quote sets the tone for the novel’s exploration of gendered visibility and objectification. Bud’s observation reveals more about his perspective than any universal truth: he notes patterns in how others engage with “freaks” but does not question the ethics of this voyeurism, reinforcing his own detachment. The contrast between women attracting solitary men and men attracting families hints at differing cultural responses to male and female otherness, suggesting that female “difference” is eroticized, while male “difference” is rendered more palatable...